A showdown looms between the Coast Cricket Association and four teams over the fielding of non-Mombasa-based cricketers in the ongoing Nic Bank T20 cricket tournament, which entered a decisive phase at the weekend.
Leaders Mombasa Sports Club, former Coast league champions Jaffery, newcomers Pakistan Cricket Club, and Mombasa Simba have threatened to pull out of the tournament.
The teams boycotted their matches on Sunday, awarding their opponents walkovers. Jaffery were to play Shree Cutchi Leva while Mombasa Sports were to face Coast Gymkhana.
Mombasa Simba had a date with Burhani while Pakistan cricketers were scheduled to play Mombasa Heats.
The standoff has put the tournament in a precarious situation as three teams - Mombasa Sports Club, Chutchi Leva, and Coast Gymkhana - had qualified for the second round.
The four teams claimed that the association had violated the by-laws of the tournament that state that local players be given priority of play and only one player outside the coastal city be allowed to sign to play.
The association claimed that the four teams had ganged up to blackmail it and warned that stern action would be taken against them.
An official who did not want to be named said the association would convene an urgent meeting to deliberate on what disciplinary action to take against the teams.
The source said three Mombasa Sports Club players were suspended over allegations that they used abusive language while addressing umpires. [Ernest Ndunda]
