ICC too levels charge against Gibbs

Dubai, Jan 15 (UNI) More troubles await Herschelle Gibbs who is already facing a disciplinary panel and the South African has now been charged under the ICC's Code of Conduct for his alleged racial remarks during the just concluded Test match against Pakistan.

Gibbs has been charged under Level 3.3 of the Code which prohibits using ''...any language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethic origin.'' The charge was laid by ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed and relates to an incident which took place shortly before the lunch interval yesterday when comments were overheard through a stump microphone on the ground, an ICC release said.

If found guilty of a Level 3 offence, Gibbs faces a ban of between two and four Test matches or between four and eight ODIs.

The hearing, to be conducted by Chris Broad, a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, is expected to take place after play concluded today.

The ICC Code of Conduct hearing is not connected with the disciplinary hearing into the same incident announced by Cricket South Africa.

UNI