How successful Noel Gibbons is in his appeal of a two-month ban at the start of next season could determine whether former West Indies Test star Alvin Kallicharran's group makes a visit to Bermuda in March.

The Royal Gazette disclosed yesterday that three Bailey's Bay players, Gibbons, Charlie Marshall and Terry Burgess -- all Bermuda internationals -- had received suspensions by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control over their conduct during the past season.

Gibbons, who has been a key figure in persuading Kallicharran to bring a team here next year made up mostly of West Indians and Indians, was suspended until June 12, 1995, for using offensive language and knocking back his stumps after being bowled.

The idea of the tour, involving some former Test greats, was first thrown out by BCBC vice president Rudolph (Mutt) Lawrence last summer.

Ironically, Lawrence chaired the disciplinary committee that heard Gibbons' case. But now there is one major stumbling block -- Gibbons' availability to play for the World Select on home soil.

"He (Kallicharran) feels it would be nice to play in Bermuda with a Bermudian in his team,'' explained Gibbons yesterday. Gibbons noted that during his conversation with the former West Indies captain he informed him of the suspension.

"He said he is not going to come to Bermuda with me banned,'' Gibbons added.

"He said he won't make a decision until after the appeal. If the decision is not favourable he will scrap the tour.'' Through his stint at Halesowen in the Birmingham Conference League in England, Gibbons has become a part of Kallicharran's tour group, having visited India and Pakistan with them in aid of charities.

Today he will join them on another assignment, to the International Sixes Tournament, which will be held over three days in Singapore. Teams from England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Pakistan, India, South Africa and Bangladesh will compete, though because of the busy international schedule no current Test players are expected to participate.

The format for the tournament sees each team bowling five overs, one over by each of the fielding players and then another match starting while the fielding team goes in to pad up.

The matches will be held on adjacent fields at the Singapore National Stadium, with next Wednesday and Thursday set aside for the round robin matches and Friday for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.

Gibbons sees his invitation as another fabulous opportunity to play with some of the best, though he says he almost called off the trip because of the suspension.

"When the verdict came out I really had the intentions of cancelling and not going. I was so disappointed at the verdict,'' the veteran player explained.

"I didn't feel pleased to go to Singapore knowing I would be carrying the Bermuda banner. I just didn't feel like carrying the Bermuda banner once again in another part of the world. The sentence I got I feel was very unjust.

"But now I'm looking forward to going and meeting friends that I made at the ICC (Trophy). It would be nice to see them in their part of the world.''