Former England international Dermot Reeve has been fined 750 New Zealand dollars ($500) for accusing fellow Englishman Ravi Bopara of ball tampering.
Reeve, who coaches the New Zealand province Central Districts, was cited under New Zealand Cricket's code of conduct for comments made to a newspaper after a limited-overs match against Bopara's Auckland team in late December.
Code of Conduct commissioner Roger Mori ruled Friday that Reeve, who accused Bopara of picking at the seam of the ball during the match, had breached the code. He found Reeve's comments, to a Wellington newspaper, were misguided and inappropriate.
Mori said he accepted Reeve had made the comments in a genuine attempt to prevent ball tampering in future games.
The decision is subject to appeal. AP
