Ramprakash banned

6:04pm Monday 6th October 2008

Mark Ramprakash has been suspended for the first two LV County Championship matches of next season for repeatedly swearing at an umpire.

The Surrey batsman pleaded guilty to a charge of using crude language during his side's championship match against Sussex at The Oval on August 20.

Ramprakash, who was acting captain and scored a century in the match, became involved in an altercation with Sussex batsman Murray Goodwin and needed to be restrained by umpires.

An England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary panel also fined the 39-year-old former England batsman £1,500 and ordered him to pay costs of £1,000.

A statement added: "In imposing this penalty, the panel took into account that Ramprakash was captain at the time of the incident, his previous good character, and the facts that he was contrite, had unreservedly apologised to the umpires and had already been fined £1,000 by Surrey County Cricket Club."