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PERTH, Western Australia, Friday

Dimple-faced Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's captain sported that world-conquering smile when he walked out of the ICC code of hearing, having been allowed to play, but accepting a penalty of six one-day matches, suspended over the next 12 months and a maximum match fee fine of 75 per cent.

This ICC code of conduct hearing which was first held in Adelaide was adjourned after a hearing of nearly 90 minutes and reopened here at the WACA headquarters and went on for nearly four hours before the verdict was announced.

There was a horde of pressmen, photographers and TV crew who had camped outside the venue of the hearing waiting to hear the verdict. While the hearing was being dragged on and the minutes ticked by, an English journalist wittily commented: 'It looks as though the ICC is introducing day/night conditions into hearings too'.

Peter van der Merwe, the match referee who conducted the hearing, said that he did not have the power to substantially punish the Sri Lankan skipper.

At a press briefing after the hearing the match referee refused to answer questions from the media but in a prepared statement said, that Mr. Ranatunga had expressed regret at the embarrassment that he had caused his opponents, officials and the public and has been warned that his every action will be very, very closely monitored over the next 12 months.

The match referee also said that Ranatunga had lost considerable standing by his bad behaviour in Adelaide after Ross Emerson the umpire called Muralitharan in Adelaide last Saturday.

Van der Merwe said: 'I would like to say that this unfortunate happening has cost Mr. Ranatunga - and I told him this - a great deal in the popularity stakes. And respect is something that I told him that both he and I will lose by this decision.

Apparently it was the decision by the BCCSL led by President Thilanga Sumathipala who read the script that was going to unfold if Emerson should stand in a game that Muralitharan played, that prompted them to have their lawyers and also a public relations company, that saved face for Ranatunga and Sri Lanka.

Critics queried these appointments and blasted Sumathipala saying that it was a waste of money etc. but Sumathipala is now having the last laugh and we would not want to guess what he would be wanting his critics to do with their views that only smacked of animus.

Lawyers representing Ranatunga and the International Cricket council made their submissions for nearly three hours.

The match referee lamented that lawyers had been brought into action and said that sweeping changes should be made to the regulations of the ICC code of conduct.

'I have no doubt that the ICC will take heed of this hearing and the way it had to be concluded and that this green-covered ICC rule book will find a lot of amendments in the next edition.'

To recap, it was a pity that the incidents that took place at the Adelaide Oval had to happen. We are certainly not condoning the behaviour of Ranatunga. But in his defence it must be said that he was provoked into doing what he did.

Ranatunga is a leader of men. He had to stand by his star bowler Muralitharan in his hour of need and this is just what he did and was forced to do because one side was playing cricket and the other side was not.

The Cricket Board must be complimented for giving Ranatunga all the support to come out of this crisis, which critics here were trying to capitalise on and force the match referee to even ban him from the game altogether.