A defiant Saleem Mukuddem has told the Bermuda Cricket Board to “bring it on” after it emerged yesterday he is to be charged with bringing the game into disrepute for publicly criticising his controversial one-match World Cup ban.

The South African all-rounder said yesterday he stood by his comments made in a Royal Gazette article on April 4 in which he accused the governing body of being “incompetent and inconsistent” in their handling of his suspension for the game against India.

In a wide-ranging attack on the Board’s disciplinary procedures and general organisation, Mukuddem also said the disciplinary committee had been guilty of a “gross over-reaction” to what was a relatively minor offence (missing a cocktail reception at the British High Commission) and that the rapid deterioration of his relationship with tour manager Lionel Tannock — who was on the committee — would have compromised the decision’s fairness.

The hearing has been set for next week Wednesday at the BCB offices, starting at 6 p.m..

“I have done absolutely nothing wrong and I will relish the opportunity to defend myself at the hearing,” Mukuddem said yesterday. “It’s game on as far as I’m concerned. I’m not going to back down and if they want a battle, then that’s what they’re going to get.

“I have absolutely no reason to retract anything I said at the time because I believe it to be accurate and fair. I believe I have a pretty water-tight defence in this case.

“I note with interest that in a Board statement released in response to the article, they concluded by saying they considered the matter closed.

“Obviously as a result of charging me they did not mean that, but if they want to raise the stakes then I’m prepared to go with them and they have to be prepared to accept the consequences.”

Mukuddem made his initial comments a few days after his national team contract with the Board expired and he was therefore not subject to the strict code of conduct imposed on the 15-man squad during the World Cup.

As an active club cricketer, however, he is still subject to the BCB’s code of conduct for all local players and officials which states that they must at no time “engage in conduct unbecoming to their status, which could bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute.”

The row centres on Mukuddem’s decision to miss an official team function on the evening of Saturday, March 17 because he wished to stay with his wife and young baby in the absence of a qualified babysitter.

Mukuddem claims he told Tannock in the morning that he did not want to attend the function and asked the manager to communicate this to BCB chief executive Neil Speight.

Speight himself has confirmed that this was never done and after Mukuddem stayed in the hotel that night, he arrived at a team meeting the following day to discover he was to be punished.

He still does not know why Tannock never communicated his intentions to Speight as requested, when the disciplinary committee of Reggie Pearman, Gary Fray and Tannock met and why he wasn’t given a chance to explain himself.

Mukuddem has also claimed there were many other, arguably bigger offences committed during the World Cup by other players that went unpunished.

“I just cannot stay silent on this because it’s very important that the major organisational weaknesses at the Board don’t affect future players in the same way as they affected me,” he said at the time.

“There were so many things going on behind the scenes which were just so wrong and I firmly believe that the public needs to be made aware of the circumstances surrounding my ban.”

In response to Mukuddem’s verbal barrage, the BCB issued a statement insisting the disciplinary process had been followed correctly and that the South African — contrary to his claims — was well aware the reception was mandatory for all players.

“The issue of players with children was raised and discussed at a team meeting at which Mr. Mukudde was present . . . At that time the squad was reminded specifically by Mr. Logie that they were being paid to be on tour and to represent Bermuda and this was not a holiday,” the statement read.

“It is important to note that there were other players with wives and young children in the squad who made the appropriate arrangements for the evening.”

The Board have not yet been willing to justify the severity of the sentence imposed on Mukuddem, however, given that under their World Cup code of conduct, a similar offence such as missing a training session carried with it only a $200 fine.

The Leg Trappers all-rounder was Bermuda’s leading bowler at the World Cup, claiming two for 50 off ten overs against Sri Lanka in the opening game at the Queen’s Park Oval and three for 19 in a terrific five-over spell against Bangladesh.