Local cricket umpire Stephen Douglas has had a three-month suspension from officiating imposed by Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) lifted.

The former Cleveland County early order bat was slapped with the ban for misappropriate conduct during a BCUA meeting last month when he is alleged to have walked on a table and hurled racial slurs at a colleague, according to BCUA officials.

Douglas, appointed to the ICC Americas Group A panel of umpires last December, has now been cleared to resume officiating this weekend.

When contacted yesterday the top umpire admitted walking on the table during last month?s meeting, but denied making racial slurs towards colleagues.

?I didn?t walk on the table just for the sake of it . . . the room was very congested and I was just taking a shortcut,? Douglas explained.

?And as far as my letter of apology is concerned . . . that was for my conduct (walking on the table) and not for making any racial slurs. I am not a racist and certainly did not make any racial slurs.?

Meanwhile, BCUA secretary Randy Butler yesterday confirmed Douglas? ban had been rescinded.

?The ban has been lifted and Douglas will be available to umpire this weekend,? Butler told

?We had a meeting concerning the matter and managed to come to a resolution and the ban was lifted.?

Butler, however, maintained Douglas made racial slurs during the meeting.

?He got mad during the meeting and walked across the table and then made racial comments towards one of the members,? he said.

?The matter should have been snuffed out right there and then, but it came down to where he (Douglas) was banned.

?But rather than go through a whole lot of changes, Douglas wrote a letter of appeal and an apology that was accepted, and so he will be permitted to continue umpiring.?