Bowls: Ban let mates off hook

Gary Lawson. Photo / Getty Images

Gary Lawson's non-selection for the Commonwealth Games bowls team was part of a deal with the national body that effectively saw him "take one for the team" and open the way for his former team-mates to be considered for Delhi.

Lawson was banned for six months on charges of match fixing at last year's Asia-Pacific championships in Malaysia.

It's understood Lawson agreed to a plea bargain on the charge his four deliberately lost an end to Thailand. His team-mates would escape penalty if he accepted a suspension and was unavailable for Commonwealth Games selection.

As a consequence, his fours team-mates - Shannon McIlroy, Shayne Sincock and Jamie Hill - were let off fines and could be available for Delhi. McIlroy was the only one eventually selected, and he will contest the men's triples.

Lawson is one of this country's most successful bowlers but he wasn't expected to be named in the Games team, because of the fallout from the match-fixing allegations.

The process was meant to be kept behind closed doors.

However, an article by an unnamed author in Bowls New Zealand's Upshot e-magazine on the organisation's website goes into some detail justifying why it was such a successful judicial process.

The bowlers involved remain under strict instruction not to talk further about the incident and have signed agreements which guarantee no public statements.

It's understood Lawson - a two-time Commonwealth Games bowler - was willing to accept the suspension if it meant 23-year-old McIlroy was able to further develop his fledgling career.

If it had not been for McIlroy's vulnerable position, sources claim Lawson's ban and any potential fines would have been contested more vigilantly.

As well, an appeal to the sports tribunal would likely have been pursued.

The bowlers would have challenged Bowls New Zealand's right to make them front a judiciary at home because the incident occurred at an overseas tournament.

When asked about the incident, Lawson declined to comment, as per the agreement. He did say if he had been offered the chance to go to Delhi he would have accepted, given the current double world champion's ban ended this month.

The irony to Lawson's uncharacteristic decision to stay mum is that the Upshot article, in a two-page spread under the headline "Judicial process and the aftermath of a recent hearing" explains at length why the judicial committee and Bowls New Zealand were right to prosecute the athletes at home and why there were considerable delays to procedure.

Unfortunately for Bowls New Zealand, it comes on the back of a farcical judicial decision by Bowls Gisborne East Coast.

They made headlines recently when former national representative David File removed his penis from his trousers to express dissatisfaction in the form of a charade as to how his team-mates were playing at an Easter tournament this year - he says he wanted to show they were "playing like dicks" but in the aftermath has said he is contrite about his actions.

Nonetheless, File was banned - including entering any club - for 10 years. He has since put the severity of his penalty into perspective, saying: "You don't even get that for murder these days."

He intends to appeal.