Mitchell Claydon banned for nine matches

A Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) Panel has banned Mitchell Claydon for nine matches after the Sussex player admitted to a charge relating to altering the condition of the ball.

Following an ECB investigation into an incident during Sussex CCC’s Bob Willis Trophy match against Middlesex on 23 August, Claydon was charged with a breach of ECB Directives 3.3 and 3.7 which state:

3.3 No Participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.

3.7 Contravention of the Bob Willis Trophy Playing Conditions 5 or 41.2 … shall be regarded as (i) unfair and improper conduct; and (ii) conduct prejudicial to the interests of cricket and likely to bring the game into disrepute.

After Claydon admitted to the charge, a CDC Panel, chaired by Mark Milliken-Smith QC, met on Wednesday 30 September and imposed a nine-match playing suspension.

The sanction took into account a six-match playing suspension imposed on Claydon by Sussex CCC, which the player has already served. As such the remainder of the player’s suspension is three matches across all formats and included Thursday’s Vitality Blast quarter-final against Lancashire at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove.

The ECB will publish the full CDC decision in due course.

In relation to this incident, Sussex CCC have also been charged with a breach of ECB Directives 3.3 and 3.7. A CDC Disciplinary Hearing Panel will hear this case in due course.