Australia cricketer James Faulkner banned from driving for 2 years, fined, for drunk driving

MANCHESTER, England(AP) _ Australia cricketer James Faulkner was banned from driving for two years and fined 10,000 pounds ($15,600) for drunk driving.

Faulkner’s blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when he chose to drive his car, rather than walk a mile home in the rain, and crashed into the back of another car in West Didsbury, Manchester, on July 2.

District Judge Mark Hadfield, in Manchester Magistrtates’ Court, said at sentencing that he ruled out an unpaid work community order or a curfew because it was “unworkable” for Faulkner, who is playing for English county Lancashire.

Cricket Australia has already penalized Faulkner, the player of the match in the Cricket World Cup final victory, by banning him from four limited-overs games on the ongoing Ashes tour, fining him, and ordering him to attend alcohol counselling.

Faulkner, an allrounder, could return to the Australia squad as injury cover for any of the final three one-day internationals against England.