PCA Statement On Behalf Of Steve Kirby — 07/06/2005

The ECB have today announced that Gloucestershire cricketer Steven Kirby has been found to be in breach of Law 42.3 (b) relating to changing the condition of the match ball. The ECB disciplinary panel have handed Kirby a three day suspension from all cricket under the jurisdiction of ECB, suspended until the end of the season, and fined him £125 costs.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) as the representative body of past and present first class cricketers in England and Wales makes the following statement on behalf of Steve Kirby.

“I understand that I was in breach of Law 42.3 (b) but I am an honest player who has never intentionally altered the condition of the ball and I never will. I’m looking forward to putting this issue behind me, and concentrating on getting back on the field for Gloucestershire.”

PCA Group Chief Executive Richard Bevan commented,

“The umpires are duty bound to change the ball as set out in Law 42.3 (d) (i), if the condition of the ball has been altered, as was alleged of Steve Kirby in Law 42.3 (b). According to the umpires report, there was no clear evidence that the match ball had been tampered with and the match ball was not changed.”

As stated in the PCA Press Release on 28/4/2005, the players nor the PCA condone ball tampering.