Western Australia have banned batsman Luke Pomersbach until January after he pleaded guilty to six alcohol-related charges.
Australian batsman hit with lengthy ban and big fine after drunken charges
Luke Pomersbach has been banned from playing for Western Australia until January at least, as a result of a court appearance stemming from six alcohol-related incidents.
The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) has come down hard on the 24-year-old batsman after an appearance at Perth Magistrate's Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to six charges.
Pomersbach was fined 3,500 Australian dollars by the court and had his licence suspended for six months after pleading guilty to charges such as assaulting a police officer, driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08, obstructing police and attempting to escape from legal custody.
The WACA has come down even harder on Pomersbach than the courts, as they have handed out a 10,000 Australian dollar fine, half of which is suspended, and banned him from playing for the Warriors until the end of the 2010-11 season.
WACA chief executive Graeme Wood said the state could allow Pomersbach to return to action on January 1 next year, but only if they were satisfied he had attended medical and counselling sessions.
Suspended
If Pomersbach does play next year, the extra 12-month ban and a 5,000 Australian dollars fine will be suspended until the end of the 2010-11 season.
"It's certainly a harsh penalty but it needed to be, this was a very serious incident," Wood said. "He's obviously very sorry for what happened last week and very remorseful.
"(But) the onus is really on him to turn things around. He has got a pathway back, but he will obviously be monitored very strictly.
"If he does those things, he has got a pathway, he'll be back playing by January 1, if he doesn't, well it's in his court."
The ban and fine also reflects Pomersbach's poor disciplinary record of the last couple of season, as he has been suspended by the WACA three times.
Record
"There's no doubting that his record hasn't been good," Wood said.
"In the past he certainly has had issues in regard to team rules and team behaviours (but) this is a breach of the Code of Behaviour and is basically separate from that.
"I think everyone deserves a chance. This is the first serious breach of a Code of Behaviour, so it's really up to him now to make sure that he turns around.
"(But) if he doesn't abide by the conditions, we would certainly look very seriously at terminating his contract."
The court heard that Pomersbach hit a skip bin whilst driving drunk after an argument with his girlfriend, and then pushed a police officer who was attempting to arrest him. The officer fell against a window and received lacerations to his thumb, while Pomersbach ran away, later to be found in sand dunes nearby.
