Murray Goodwin. (Photo Source: Twitter/ICC)

Former Zimbabwe international Murray Goodwin has found himself at the centre of controversy after assaulting an opponent in a regional cricket final match. The former cricketer has been handed a 16-match ban by the Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association (BDCA) following the incident after he was found guilty of attacking a rival player.

The incident took place during the summit clash of first-grade between Colts Cricket Club and Marist Cricket Club at the Bunbury Recreation Ground in Western Australia. The 50-year-old was seemingly frustrated after getting dismissed by Marist pacer Tyson Italiano after he was caught and bowled for mere two runs. 

Infuriated by the dismissal, the batter charged towards wicketkeeper Cam Marra and jabbed him on the head with his bat. Soon after, umpires Gary Crombie and Brett Shortland charged him with a level-four offence under MCC Law 42.5 (Law for offences by players) and he was suspended for the remainder of the two-day fixture.

Goodwin faces three-year penalty

According to reports by The West Australian, the Bunbury Cricket District Association Tribunal adjudged Goodwin guilty of assaulting the rival keeper and has been handed a three-year penalty. This essentially means that the 50-year-old will miss nearly the entirety of next summer’s Bunbury and Districts season after copping a 16-match suspension, with the remainder served as a suspended sentence.

The Harare-born cricketer featured in 71 ODIs and 19 Test matches for Zimbabwe and amassed 1818 and 1414 runs respectively during his stint with the national team. His ODI stats include eight half-centuries and two tons laced with eight half-centuries in red-ball cricket and three centuries. 

Goodwin last featured in an official List A game in the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2014, as he donned the outfit of Glamorgan against his former team Sussex. The Zimbabwean’s 59-run knock proved to be instrumental in Glamorgan’s win in the contest. Goodwin spent 12 seasons at Sussex as a player before being appointed as the club’s batting coach in 2016.