Saturday 4 October 2014 08:54, UK
Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale has been banned for two games and ordered to undertake an anger management course following an incident during last month's County Championship clash with arch-rivals Lancashire.
The 30-year-old admitted the offence of verbally abusing South African batsman Ashwell Prince towards the end of the penultimate day of an ill-tempered Roses clash at Old Trafford.
Gale was immediately suspended for two matches and missed out on helping Yorkshire clinch their first title in 13 years - but will now serve an additional two-game ban at the start of next season and take professional help for his temperament issues.
A statement from the ECB, which had previously accused Gale of making racist remarks to Prince, read: "Mr Gale admits that his conduct was improper and contrary to these ECB Directives.
"He acknowledges and deeply regrets that the words he used caused any offence and, in particular, that they could have caused offence as a result of the reference to the nationality of the person to whom they were made. Mr Gale wishes to express that this was absolutely not his intention."
Usman Khawaja, Lancashire’s Australian overseas player, was batting with Prince at the time of the altercation and was a leading figure in taking the matter further than originally suggested by the umpires.
