Sheridans Wins Important Victory for South African Cricketer
Jeremy Roberts and Nick King have represented Northamptonshire CCC player, Johannes Van der Wath, in his successful appeal against the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (the ECB) decision not to register him for the 2008 English cricket season.
On 20 March 2008, just weeks before the beginning of the season, the ECB confirmed that it had declined to exercise its discretion to register Johannes (together with his Northamptonshire team-mate, Andrew Hall, and Justin Kemp from Kent CCC) as a result of his participation in the Indian Cricket League (the ICL).
The effect of the decision was to effectively restrain Johannes from competing as a professional cricketer anywhere in the world for a period of more than 6 months. This was clearly prejudicial to his ability to earn a living and to progress his career.
However, following detailed representations at a hearing held at The Oval on 30 April 2008, a three man appeal panel found unanimously in Johannes’ (and the other players’) favour, indicating that the ECB had acted improperly in refusing his registration and directing the ECB to register him to play for Northamptonshire with immediate effect. In particular, the Panel found that the ECB had acted unfairly in basing its decision on Johannes’ involvement in the Indian Cricket League when at the time he had entered into a contract with the ICL, the ECB had given no notice to the First Class Counties, the players or the Professional Cricketers’ Association that playing in the ICL may jeopardise players’ registrations for the 2008 season.
Johannes is now back playing First Class Cricket in England and Sheridans would like to wish him and Northamptonshire CCC every success for the season.
For further details on this topic please contact Nick King or Jeremy Roberts.
Issued May 2008.
