Pomersbach suspended by Western Australia

Western Australia have suspended their batsman Luke Pomersbach for Thursday's Twenty20 match against Queensland after he failed to show up for a club game on the weekend. Pomersbach will be fined his full Twenty20 match payment and has been ordered to seek counselling having missed Saturday's match for Gosnells after attending the funeral of a close friend.

Pomersbach was given leave from the final day of Western Australia's Second XI match to go to the funeral. However, he said he did not know that he was expected to play for Gosnells the next day. The Western Australian Cricket Association completed an investigation into the incident on Monday.

The WACA released a statement saying: "The WACA is understanding and sympathetic to the loss of Luke's close friend and have taken the delicacy of this into consideration. However, the lack of communication between Luke, WACA management and club officials on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday has been deemed unacceptable. In addition to this, Luke has breached his contractual obligations with the WACA."

Pomersbach conceded he had made a mistake by failing to let the WACA know that he was not in the right frame of mind to play the day after his friend's funeral. "I regret my actions over the past few days," Pomersbach said.

"Whilst I was not in the mental state to play cricket on Friday and Saturday, I should have discussed this before the game with my club and the WACA. I am very sorry to have put my Warriors team mates through this distraction as they prepare for a critical Big Bash game against Queensland this Thursday."

The past 14 months have been eventful for Pomersbach, who was suspended by his state in late 2007 after an alcohol-related incident. He then received a shock last-minute call-up to make his Twenty20 international debut for Australia and went on to win the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year title in 2008.