IT is with great hope and anticipation that I write my following article.

Hope in a sense that this year there will be no disciplinary problems on the cricket field this summer, both locally and abroad. Anticipation in terms of if we do have disciplinary issues they will be dealt with fairly, swiftly, and appropriately.

One may wonder what has happened to the days when cricket was a gentlemen's game. Have the current-day players lost the respect for the laws/rules of the game and the authorities who run the game?

In the last year or two there have been at least three or four different incidents that have occurred while national squad players have been on duty overseas.

No doubt our players have simply been mesmerised by the level of rules and regulations imposed by the ICC.

Lionel (Cann), Sluggo (Leverock) and I have all been penalised for various reasons. However, I will be the first to say that all three situations were things that happen week in and week out in Bermuda cricket.

Another time I recall having to go to an umpires' meeting concerning Dean Minors. Dean basically took a catch behind and ran off celebrating with the bowler. The umpires informed Gus Logie and I that when a wicketkeeper catches the ball he must first appeal to the umpire and await his decision before celebrating or else he could be charged.

In this case the umpire just gave Dean a warning, but told us that when we play in the World Cup they will not be as lenient. So my question is, do we need to become more stringent with our discipline on the local scene?

Now I ask the following question to all our local cricket fans: On the local scene is discipline really a problem?

My answer to that question is yes! Far too many players question the umpire's decisions and far too many incidents go overlooked by umpires. If the umpires were consistently using the ICC Code of Conduct several players would be guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and charged, week in and week out.

I recall playing against a team two years ago when I first joined Cleveland and watched a player literally hit all three stumps out of ground with his bat. I was stunned, but what was more stunning was that when his club went before the Cricket Board's disciplinary committee the charges were dropped.

There lies one of our biggest problems folks! Clubs are not doing their part when it comes to handling these issues.

Truthfully speaking, the young man should have been suspended by his own club before he even got to the Cricket Board's disciplinary committee meeting. However, instead of suspending him they defended him.

What messages are we sending to the youths who witnessed this incident and heard about the outcome?

What does this tell you about the club, their programme, their coaching staff and their morals?

If a club is going to back a player for doing wrong they then open themselves up for further trouble from their players in the future.

So what can be done then to rectify this problem, one may ask?

The new technical committee, of which I am a member, have put our heads together and have hopefully come up with a resolution to the problem.

This year each club must have an official on hand at every game to act as a consultant to the umpires. This person will be responsible for filing a short report on each game. Therefore after the game the umpires can collaborate with the official on that day concerning any on the field incidents and all three will write a report on the situation, which will eliminate any club from denying a player's wrongdoing.

Personally, I just feel the umpires need to sit and discuss what they will and will not tolerate, so that there is consistency across the board. They must not be intimidated by names or reputations. What's right for one, must be right for all.

Lastly, I urge the players to play hard, but play fair. The game of cricket is and will always be a gentlemen's game, with or without you.

Motto for the week: "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." - Roy L. Smith.