ESSEX coach Paul Grayson says the club have been harshly dealt with by the cricket authorities after seeing skipper James Foster banned and overseas star Tim Southee forbidden from playing in the Championship.

An England & Wales Cricket Board disciplinary panel banned Foster from leading his side in two crunch Twenty20 games this week, while New Zealand Cricket said Southee could not take part in Essex’s four-day campaign over concerns he will burn out.

Grayson said both decisions were a blow to the club as they enter a make-or-break run of games for their season.

Grayson said: “I think these authorities need to have a good look at themselves and the effect they have on people who are playing the game.

“We do feel we have been harshly treated, but we have just got to get on with it.”

Foster, 31, was dealt with by a disciplinary panel made up of David Gabbit-ass, Alan Wadey and Mike Griffith.

He was punished after at least five Essex players broke various rules over the last year, the latest of which saw Foster himself reprimanded by Essex for showing dissent to umpires during a Twenty20 game against Surrey in June.

Following a three-hour hearing at Lord’s on Tuesday, the ECB fined Essex £5,000, ordered them to pay £300 costs, and banned Foster from last night’s game with Hampshire and tomorrow’s showdown with Glamorgan.

An Essex statement acknowledged the breach, and explained they had already taken robust internal action to deal with it. It said: “We are disappointed that the actions taken by the club following umpires’ reports on misconduct of players have been ignored by the disciplinary committee.”

Southee, 22, was brought in as a Twenty20 specialist bowler, but Essex wanted to use him in the Championship games against Northamptonshire last month, and Leicestershire on Sunday.

But Grayson said that was scuppered by New Zealand’s director of cricket John Buchanan, and national coach John Wright, over concerns Southee would be playing too much cricket.

Grayson said: “I find that a bit odd because their next international schedule is not until October And we are frustrated and so is Tim, because he wants to play.”