Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) came under fire yesterday for granting top all-rounder Janeiro Tucker permission to tour with the senior national team to Kenya and Dubai last month — despite the player having landed himself in hot water with local cricket's governing body.

It was revealed earlier this week that a recommendation by national coach Gus Logie to have Tucker's hearing pushed back to enable him to go on the recent tour was granted by the BCB.

"It was a Board decision that was taken that we suspend his (Tucker's) hearing until he comes back and he was duly informed," BCB president Reggie Pearman told The Royal Gazette.

It is a decision which former Bermuda opening batsman and team manager Dennis Wainwright strongly rejects.

"If we continue to give into demands and swallow principles to satisfy the coach then we are asking for trouble. The same way they (BCB) made an exception before could very well happen again if Janeiro (Tucker) appeals. The matter could be squashed with the Board ending up with egg in their faces," Wainwright argued.

"To make a decision after they have bent over backwards to accommodate him and then have an appeal pending with the possibility of them losing could make them look silly and, as a Board, you don't want to put yourself in that position."

Wainwright added that the Board's decision to grant Tucker a stay of execution to serve their own purposes sends the wrong message to others and insists the matter should've been dealt with expeditiously.

"We must deal with matters as they arise and not for the convenience of certain individuals. And this is what we have to do in order to be seen as doing things above board and not at the convenience of people, because once you start doing that you create loopholes," he added.

"We have to deal with things as they happen and no one player should be any different than any other. If you commit an offence then you should be dealt with and done so urgently. We take too long to deal with situations as they arise and it seems as though we are afraid to make a decision and because of that we run into trouble.

"I don't think something of this nature would've occurred at the professional ranks. During the World Cup, Flintoff (England all rounder Andrew Flintoff) acted up and he was dealt with right away. They (English cricket authorities) didn't wait until the World Cup was over. Instead the matter was dealt with swiftly.

"But we have been doing things like this for years; taking too long to make decisions that always seem to backfire on us."

Earlier this week Southampton Rangers chairman Randy Raynor lashed out at the BCB, arguing: "They just used him to go to Africa and then when he returns slap him in the face." Wainwright concurred.

"It looks as though they (BCB) used him because no matter what offence he allegedly committed the BCB's position took priority," he said. "And I don't blame Logie (national coach Gus Logie) because disciplinary matters are not his priority." The BCB last week slapped Tucker with a six-match suspension after putting off his initial hearing originally scheduled for October 9.

The Rangers player/coach went before the Board's disciplinary committee for allegedly swearing at umpire Hector Watson from the clubhouse balcony at Southampton Oval three-months after serving a BCB -imposed three-match ban for unsportsmanlike conduct -claims the player and Rangers chairman Raynor categorically denied.

"There were at least 25 people on the balcony at the time yet the umpire (Watson) singles out Janeiro," claimed Raynor, who also serves a club representative on the Board."

Tucker has until today to appeal against the BCB's ruling.