Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) senior executive Gary Fray hit back yesterday at allegations he treated talented young cricketer Dion Stovell ?unfairly?, as reported in yesterday.

Stovell, who served a lengthy ban this past summer after being found guilty by a Fray-led BCB disciplinary committee for bringing the game into disrepute while representing Bermuda in Jamaica in 2004, maintains the long-serving Board executive abused his position and acted out a personal vendetta alleged to have begun when the player transferred from Warwick to Southampton Rangers.

As president of Warwick, some deemed Fray?s involvement in Stovell?s disciplinary proceedings to be a direct conflict of interest.

Also, in accordance to the ICC code of conduct, the player?s offence only called for a deduction in match fees as opposed to a lengthy ban.

Fray, however, strongly disagrees with the criticism of his role in the player?s suspension.

?No one is trying to prevent Dion from playing and if anything at all I try to encourage people to play. But when I sit down with the disciplinary committee we have to do the right thing and if someone is found to be guilty and has to be punished, then we do so by our guidelines,? he stressed.

?But this thing has gone on too long and lies are starting to come out. He was found guilty of an offence and we dealt with it and that was the end of it. Even if you go back and look at his football career I believe he has also been suspended from playing as well. So what Stovell has to do is to get himself in order and participate in what he loves to do ? and that?s play cricket and football.?

Stovell, according to Fray, first landed himself in hot water representing Bermuda in Toronto several years ago and received probation for an undisclosed offence. Last year the hard-hitting batsman received a Board imposed four-month ban for reluctantly leaving the crease when judged leg before by the umpire representing Bermuda at a youth match in Jamaica.

The disciplinary panel?s decision to punish Stovell with a lengthy ban was based solely on those two incidents and not because of any alleged ?personal vendetta?, Fray maintained.

He added: ?I hope this is going to be the end of this thing with Stovell because I think it?s time for us to move forward. And I am sorry to hear he is anticipating not playing cricket anymore because I think he has a lot to offer both club and country. But this thing has gone too far now.?

Fray also shed light on retired BCB secretary Charlotte (Molly) Simons? involvement in the disciplinary hearings.

?Charlotte attended that meeting only to record the minutes,? he confirmed. ?She can?t ask any questions whatsoever. She only records minutes of the meeting and then sends the letters to the recipients according to whatever decision the panel makes.?

Simons stood down after serving numerous years on local cricket?s governing body.

As for claims his involvement as chairman of the Board?s disciplinary committee was a conflict of interest given the case involved one of his members at the Warwick club at the time, Fray replied: ?I?m not going back there because this is done and initially everybody knew I had no part of the actual decision making. I had no part of that. I just headed the meeting and the decision was made by the other panel members who were there and I had no say whatsoever in it.?

Fray also denied accusations he was ?disrespectful? towards the player during disciplinary meetings. He claimed that on the contrary it was Stovell who demonstrated a lack of respect.

?People just can?t come into meetings and be disrespectful and do whatever they like,? he added. ?The committee made the decision to ban Stovell based on the offence he committed in Jamaica (West Indies Under-19 Tournament) and for his behaviour in the meeting. It was much more to it than that and I think if Stovell?s attitude doesn?t change then he is going to find himself not being able to play in any type of sport.

?And this would be a shame because he has the ability and potential to be one of the best opening bats I?ve ever seen. The guy is terrific.?

Fray also denied he had any influence on a decision to overlook Stovell for national team selection ahead of August?s ICC Intercontinental Cup commitments in Toronto.

?From what I?ve been made to understand he did not make the team simply because he did not show up for training. And this is part of the Board?s policy. If you don?t train then you don?t go and his attendance was next to zero from what I?ve been made to understand during an executive meeting last week. His attendance record was so poor that he wasn?t even considered for the squad.

?But I personally don?t have anything against Stovell. An offence was committed, I chaired the meeting, had no part in the final decision making and as far as I was concerned the matter was put to bed.?