Aussie club team investigated over racial taunts

Relevant offers

Cricket

Injury clouds over Guptill, Oram only negative Wizards internationals out of T20 match McCullum leads NZ to easy win over Zimbabwe McCullum after another Black Caps batting blitz India struggle past Sri Lanka for Tri-Series win Afghanistan to play first ODI against Pakistan Black Caps duelling for spots ahead of Proteas Broken finger puts Dean Brownlie out for month Michael Bates set to make Black Caps debut The magic is back for allrounder Jacob Oram

Almost an entire cricket team in Victoria is under investigation for alleged on-field incidents of sustained racial abuse of players of Indian descent during a match on Saturday, a local media report said.

Witnesses claimed the taunts reduced many of the victims to tears and they were considering giving up the sport.

The Geelong Cricket Association has launched a probe after receiving an official written complaint from the Waurn Ponds Cricket Club against opposition club Thomson, The Geelong Advertiser reported.

The complaint alleges six Waurn Ponds players of Indian descent were subjected to a series of racially motivated verbal attacks during Saturday's fourth-grade qualifying final at Grinter Reserve No. 2.

The comments were allegedly made when the Waurn Ponds team was batting, with requests to stop from both the umpire and several aggrieved players going unheeded, it said. Waurn Ponds, based at Deakin University, comprises a strong core of international students in its lower grades, with more than a dozen registered players of Indian descent. The complaint exempted only one Thomson player, Paul Welsh, of any wrongdoing. Thomson has denied the allegations and said it would support the GCA investigation.

GCA vice president Garry McPherson, who will chair the investigation, confirmed Waurn Ponds had lodged a complaint. "We've received a letter requesting an investigation and that process will be going forward this week," McPherson was quoted in the paper as saying.

"From that investigation hearing we will determine a course of action as to whether there's a case to be found at all, initially, and then any possible penalties or conciliation that may need to be undertaken."

"All these things will come out from the meeting on Wednesday night," he added. Waurn Ponds lost the match by 13 runs. Thomson batted first, setting Waurn Ponds 213 for victory off 40 overs. McPherson said Thomson had cooperated and would make players and officials available for the hearing. Thomson president Laurie McGovern categorically denied the accusations.

"There has been a complaint from Waurn Ponds written by (Waurn Ponds president and Advertiser sports reporter) Daniel Breen and it is a letter that is strenuously denied by Thomson Cricket Club and we will support any GCA investigation," McGovern said.

- © Fairfax NZ News