Slater not banned from second test

Australian opener Michael Slater has not been banned from playing in the second test against India, match referee Cammie Smith said on Saturday.

"Slater has been fined 50 percent of his match fee plus one test match suspended for a six-month period from March 9, 2001 to September 8, 2001," Smith said.

"This means that if he transgresses within that period then the ban comes into effect."

On Friday, former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Jagmohan Dalmiya said in a statement that Slater had been banned from playing in the second test starting in Calcutta on Sunday.

Smith said Slater had been penalised for talking about the match referee's warning issued to the opener in the first test in Bombay.

Slater was cautioned for arguing with the umpire and India's Rahul Dravid after his claim that he had caught the batsman had been turned down.

"If you have a warning and then you go on to make a comment on that decision of mine, that is a breach of the (ICC) code of conduct. So he has got this (suspended ban) for the breach of the code, which prohibits making comments on any decision," Smith said.

Mail Cricket Editor