Ebrahim lands one-match ban

Someone in the Zimbabwe Cricket Union must have broken quite a few mirrors in recent months, so wretched is its luck. First there was the dispute which robbed the side of 15 players, then Blessing Mahwire's action was reported to the ICC, and now Dion Ebrahim, their vice-captain, has been banned for one Test for making disparaging comments about Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action.

Ebrahim's offending remark came on the first day of the second Test, when he was reported for saying in a telephone interview that Muralitharan's legbreak was "the first legal delivery he bowled - that's my personal opinion".

Sri Lankan officials wrote to Mike Procter, the match referee, saying they took "very serious offence" at the remark. A hearing was held at the end of play today and Ebrahim pleaded guilty. He explained that he had not realised the seriousness of his statement, and that he had said it more in jest.

Procter said that while he was not going to fine Ebrahim, he took his statement in serious light and so decided on the one-match ban.