Jermaine Postlethwaite and Dexter Basden may face the music for publicly speaking out against the Bermuda Cricket Board, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The newspaper was told that BCB president Reggie Pearman made the disclosure during a meeting held earlier this week.

It is understood the pair will be dealt with by a special disciplinary committee headed up by first vice-president Gary Fray when he arrives back on the Island in the near future.

It is alleged that the President also declared during the meeting that local cricketers - be they at national or club level - will not be able to talk to the media about board matters in the future.

Postlethwaite criticised the BCB for their failure to hold a prize presentation after his club, Western Stars, clinched the inaugural Combined KO trophy. Stars reportedly have yet to receive the trophy, almost one year after the final was held at Somerset Cricket Club.

Basden, meanwhile, is expected to face heat for sharing his opinions about the way in which Willow Cuts and PHC were prevented from playing in this year's Belco Cup.

The news comes shortly after it was learned that St.George's Cricket Club cricketer, Sinclair Gibbons, had a one year suspension reduced to six months, despite the player publicly lashing out at the Board and later referring to them as a bunch of `educated fools' who presided over a `kangaroo court'. Gibbons, who is still on probation, has since returned to play.

When contacted yesterday, Pearman refused to comment, however, at least one board insider confirmed what was said during the recent meeting.

"All I can say is that they (the BCB) are going after those guys for talking to the press," he said. "And now they don't want anyone to talk to the media - no matter at what level."

All this comes at a time when player interest at the senior national level has hit an all-time low with many high-profile players refusing to serve under the current BCB administration and coach Mark Harper.

It is even being rumoured that if Postlethwaite and Basden are taken to task, some of those very same players may threaten to boycott the sport altogether.

If punishments are meted out it would not be the first time that the Board has sought to reprimand those who choose to speak to the press.

Last year, Somerset Cricket Club player Wendell White - now the Western Counties president - received a four match ban after he made comments following Bermuda's disastrous excursion to the America's Regional Tournament in Argentina.

The player later paid a fee to have an appeal against the imposed ban heard but that never materialised and he had to serve out the full suspension. Board officials later said they penalised the player for talking to the press solely because he was a member of the national squad.

However, both Postlethwaite's and Basden's cases differ as the pair were discussing matters at club level.

This latest development involving the BCB comes as the new season got off to a rocky start last weekend.

Umpire shortages, protests by St. David's, who refused to play defending league champions Stars over the suspension of Mackie Crane, the unavailability of several pitches and the eviction of one club from what they believed was to be their home ground.