Giddins fined and banned for betting

Ed Giddins, the former England fast bowler, has been fined £5000, plus £1000 costs, and banned from playing in any match under the jurisdiction of the ECB for five years.

Giddins, 32, was found guilty by an ECB disciplinary panel of breaching a directive while a contracted county player, by placing a bet of around £7000 on Surrey (his county at the time) to lose to Northamptonshire in a National League game in August 2002. Giddins pleaded not guilty to the charge, but did not dispute any of the facts brought before the panel, which was chaired by His Honour Judge Slinger, and also included David Gabbitass and Richard Bevan.

The five-year suspension was the maximum available to the panel, and, according to the ECB, "reflects the seriousness with which the discipline committee views any attempt by a registered cricketer to bet on the result of any match under ECB jurisdiction".

The ban won't affect Giddins unduly, since he retired at the end of last season after a subdued year with Hampshire, his fourth county. He parted company with Sussex, his first club, after a drug offence in 1996. He also played for Warwickshire and Surrey, and won four Test caps, taking 12 wickets at 20.00, including 5 for 15 against Zimbabwe at Lord's in 2000.