Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Backroom pair punished by England

Kevin Shine and Jeremy Snape
Shine and Snape are part of Duncan Fletcher's support staff
Two members of England's backroom team have been punished for failing to act over a late night drinking session involving several players in St Lucia.

Bowling coach Kevin Shine and spin specialist Jeremy Snape are to "make a donation" to charity.

Shine has been warned about his conduct even though he was only at the Rumours nightclub with his brother.

Snape's short-term contract is due to expire this weekend following the group game against Kenya.

He was recruited by Fletcher to work with spin bowlers Monty Panesar and Jamie Dalrymple and to help the team's mental preparations as he has a sports psychology degree.

The decision to penalise Snape and Shine was taken after a meeting with Fletcher and Hugh Morris of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Andrew Flintoff, Ian Bell, Liam Plunkett, Paul Nixon, Jon Lewis and James Anderson have already been fined for staying out until the early hours of Saturday morning following the team's defeat by New Zealand - and Flintoff has been stripped of the vice-captaincy.

England hope the action against Shine and Snape will bring the matter to an end.

Nixon has already dismissed suggestions of a drinking culture among the team as "preposterous".

He said: "We are all grown adults and we are all responsible for our actions. Duncan Fletcher was very angry and we know that we let him down. I think we are better aware of our public perception now."