Charge after Sulieman's big Benn-der

The Proteas management have escalated the Sulieman Benn incident. Arriving late on Friday night at OR Tambo International Airport from the Caribbean, they confirmed that they've laid a code of conduct charge against Benn - which if upheld could lead to a ban for the player - with the ICC.

The ICC will appoint a judicial manager to handle the charge and matters will hopefully be concluded in seven days.

The Proteas' charge relates to Benn "being verbally threatening and abusive", entering the Proteas change room without permission and then being involved in a further altercation with members of the Proteas management staff in the corridor separating the change rooms.

The incidents happened during and just after lunch on the fourth day of the third Test between the West Indies and the Proteas in Bridgetown, Barbados. The Proteas won the Test by seven wickets and the three-Test series 2-0.

Benn is further alleged to have told Dale Steyn, with whom he became involved in an altercation when Steyn lost his wicket shortly before lunch, that he shouldn't leave his room that night. Benn is alleged to have told Steyn: "This is Barbados. There are many ways to skin a cat. Don't walk on the streets tonight, get room service."

Steyn has already been fined by match referee Jeff Crowe for his part in the incident, losing his entire match fee.

Television images show him spitting gum through the grill of his helmet in Benn's direction after he was dismissed before lunch on the fourth day. "Dale's behaviour was unacceptable and he knows that," said Crowe. "The fact that he was provoked by Sulieman during his time at the crease helps to explain his actions, but cannot excuse them."

The incidents involving Benn took place within the context of a rapidly deteriorating atmosphere out in the middle.

"I think in general they lost focus of what was important," said Proteas skipper Graeme Smith at Friday night's press conference. "They seemed to lose focus in the cricket."

Benn and Steyn's histrionics have cast a shadow over what was a highly successful second half of the tour to the Caribbean if one includes the team's disappointing performance in the Twenty20 World Cup as being part of the first. They took a clean sweep of the five ODIs (winning the last by a wicket with two balls to spare) and won the Tests 2-0, although their performances also have to be judged against opposition that was frequently inconsistent and often plain weak.

While happy with the shape of the Test side, Smith harbours reservations about the composition of the ODI team and what he called "competition play".

"The tour showed us the way to go in terms of consistency," said national coach Corrie van Zyl. "I now have a better understanding of where I want to go with the one-day side."

The Sunday Times has learnt that Alan Kourie, Gauteng cricket's consultant CEO, has been shown the door by the board and chairman Patrick Moroney. The chairman was keen to put a positive spin on Kourie's premature dismissal, saying his short-term contract comes to an end at the end of the month anyway.

"There's nothing sinister here," Moroney said yesterday. "This kind of thing happens in the corporate world all the time."