Essex cricket charged with failing to address alleged ‘systemic’ racist language and conduct

Essex County has been charged by England’s cricket regulator with failing to address alleged “systemic” racist language and conduct at the club for a decade. (Essex County Cricket Club)
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Updated 03 June 2024
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Essex cricket charged with failing to address alleged ‘systemic’ racist language and conduct

  • In 2021, allegations of racist language and conduct were investigated

CHELMSFORD, England: Essex County has been charged by England’s cricket regulator with failing to address alleged “systemic” racist language and conduct at the club for a decade.
“It is alleged by the cricket regulator that there was systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language and/or conduct at Essex, during the period between 2001 and 2010, which Essex failed to address,” the cricket regulator said in a statement on Monday.
Essex said on Monday it had fully cooperated with the cricket regulator, and it intended to “participate willingly” with the cricket discipline commission which will hear the case on dates yet to be decided.
In 2021, allegations of racist language and conduct made by Jahid Ahmed, Zoheb Sharif and Maurice Chambers were investigated by King’s Counsel Katherine Newton, who gave her commissioned report to Essex.
Her report, published last December, found reference to players’ ethnic, racial and religious origins was “entirely normalized and tolerated behavior” within the dressing room culture at Essex from the mid-1990s until around 2013, under the misguided belief that it was acceptable ‘banter.’
Essex announced in February it had sanctioned individuals in connection with Newton’s findings, but did not name them.
Last July, Yorkshire was fined and docked points for how it handled allegations of discrimination by former player Azeem Rafiq, and for failing to address the systemic use of racist and discriminatory language from 2004-21.


Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7

Updated 10 October 2024
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Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7

  • Brook and Root put on 454 for the fourth wicket as England piled up the fourth highest innings in Test cricket history
  • Saim Ayub and Shan Masood were unbeaten on 13 and 10 respectively with Pakistan needing 244 to make England bat again

MULTAN: Pakistan were 23-1 at tea on the fourth day and fighting to avoid an innings defeat after Harry Brook’s 371 and Joe Root’s 262 propelled England to a mammoth 823-7 declared in the first Test on Thursday.
Brook and Root put on 454 for the fourth wicket as England piled up the fourth highest innings in Test cricket history before Chris Woakes bowled opener Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of their second innings.
Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood — dropped twice by England fielders — were unbeaten on 13 and 10 respectively with Pakistan still needing 244 to make England bat again.
Brook and Root enjoyed a run-feast on a flat Multan stadium pitch, both knocking career-best scores to give England a 267 lead over Pakistan’s first innings total of 556.

England’s Joe Root plays a shot during the First Test between England and Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 10, 2024. (REUTERS)

Brook completed his triple century with a boundary off part-timer Ayub, reaching the mark off 310 balls before he top-edged a sweep off the same bowler and was caught by Masood.
Brook cracked 29 fours and three sixes in his 439-minute stay at the crease.
But Root — who broke Alastair Cook’s England Test run record of 12,472 on Wednesday — fell short of a triple hundred as he was trapped leg-before by Salman Agha after a marathon 10 hour-stay suring which he hit 17 fours.
The Root-Brook stand of 454 was England’s highest in Tests, eclipsing the 411-run fourth wicket partnership by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies at Birmingham in 1957.
It is also the fourth highest partnership in Test cricket history.

England's Joe Root and Zak Crawley (R) run between the wickets during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 8, 2024. (AFP)

Ayub (2-101) and Naseem Shah (2-157) were the most successful Pakistan bowlers.
England resumed on 492-3 in the morning and looked for quick runs, which Root and Brook provided despite Pakistan’s defensive leg-side bowling, adding 166 runs in 29 overs in the session.
Root’s previous best of 254 was also against Pakistan at Manchester in 2016.
Brook was equally dominant, hitting 20 boundaries and a six in his maiden Test double hundred, which came off just 245 balls.

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, center, plays a shot as England's Jamie Smith, center, and Joe Root watch during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, on Oct. 8, 2024. (AP)

His previous best was 186, scored against New Zealand at Wellington last year.
Pakistan’s only chance came in the first hour when Root, on 186, failed to keep down a pull shot off Shah but Babar Azam shelled the regulation chance at mid-wicket.
Root took full advantage and with a single off spinner Agha Salman completed his sixth Test double-century, which came in 517 minutes off 305 balls.
Pakistan were without frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed who suffered a fever and did not take the field on Thursday.


Andy Flower hopes to see more than two UAE players starting in future editions of the DP World ILT20

Updated 10 October 2024
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Andy Flower hopes to see more than two UAE players starting in future editions of the DP World ILT20

  • Gulf Giants’ head coach believes the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 can transform Emirati cricket

DUBAI: Scouting the right talent at a suitable age is one of the most important aspects of a plan when the aim is to make progress in sport.

For those scouted, game time is important, and there is nothing better than high level cricket tournaments such as the DP World ILT20 for that, according to Zimbabwean legend Andy Flower.  

The former international wicketkeeper-batter, now head coach of the Gulf Giants, believes that while the DP World ILT20 can help transform UAE cricket, the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2024 is as important.

Flower is keeping a keen eye on the action at the development tournament currently being played at the ICC Academy Oval 1. The tournament provides competing players an opportunity to seal one of the 12 remaining berths in the six DP World ILT20 Season 3 squads (two squad spots up for grabs in each team).   

Flower, who has coached around the world, said: “The DP World ILT20 is brilliant for cricket in the UAE and some of the guys get some excellent exposure from playing with the best players in the world during the tournament. And I expect the coming tournament (DP World ILT20 Season 3) is going to be very similar in standard and in terms of great exposure for the UAE players.

“The extension of that is this tournament (DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2024), and I have come out for a bit of scouting for the Gulf Giants.”  

He added: “Watching the players go at it in a highly competitive tournament is a great experience and a motivator for me as well. And a tournament like this is all part of the growth of cricket in the UAE.”  

The 56-year-old called the DP World ILT20 crucial for the growth of cricket in the UAE.

He explained: “We have just seen a very apt example in the USA, and their growth as a team there is potential for something similar and more. At the DP World ILT20 there are currently two UAE players per playing XI, and I hope in the future that number grows and that allows for greater experience for the players and, crucially, confidence. That confidence and self-belief at international level is absolutely crucial. And it is at tournaments like the DP World ILT20 where you start to realise the international players are not invincible.”  

Formerly the coach of the England cricket team, Flower, who has been watching the tournament from one of the best seats in the house, has been impressed by UAE players such as Aayan Khan, Zuhaib Zubair, Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Wasim, to name a few.

On a scouting trip for the Gulf Giants, who created history by becoming the inaugural champions of the DP World ILT20, the former Zimbabwe captain said: “We are aiming to bring home the trophy again after a sensational first season for the Gulf Giants. Working with the Adanis (team sponsor) was a fantastic experience for us and yes, we would like to do them proud. So, getting to the playoffs is the first step towards real success and strengthening our squad with the UAE players is just a small step in the same direction.  

“We have a couple of UAE spinners in our squad, and I am very impressed with them, but we might look to cover a few different skills in terms of filling up the two spots we have for players from the UAE, just to cover all angles in terms of the balance of the squad.

“A specialist batter and quick bowler from the UAE, who know these conditions well, would probably give us more tactical flexibility,” Flower concluded.  

 


Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season

Updated 10 October 2024
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Rafa Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season

  • Decision effective after the Davis Cup final

MADRID: Rafael Nadal on Thursday announced he will retire after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending a career which brought 22 Grand Slam titles, global respect and inspired epic, iconic rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
"I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in a video on social media.
"It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end."
The 38-year-old Spaniard is set to end his two decades as a professional with 92 titles and prize money alone of $135 million.
He dominated the French Open where he won 14 of his majors, his first arriving just days after his 19th birthday in 2005, his last in 2022 making him the event's oldest champion.
On the famous crushed brick of Roland Garros, he lost just three times in 115 matches.
He was also a four-time champion at the US Open and a two-time winner at the Australian Open, his first triumph coming in 2009; his second 13 years later.
Nadal also won Wimbledon twice, in 2008 and 2010 despite grass considered to be the surface most likely to expose any shortcomings in his game.
His five-set victory over Roger Federer in the 2008 championship match, which ended in almost complete darkness at the All England Club, is widely regarded as the greatest Slam final ever played.


Nadal claimed a career Golden Slam when he took Olympic Games gold in 2008. For good measure, he also won five Davis Cups.
Nadal was a five-time year-end world number one and never left the top 10 from 2005 until March this year.
In total, he spent 209 weeks in top spot and between 2004 and 2022, won at least one title every year.
In his long rivalry with close friend Federer, who retired last year, he enjoyed a 24-16 edge. Nadal surpassed Federer's mark of 20 majors in Australia last year.
He and Djokovic, the all-time leader with 24 men's Grand Slam titles, met 60 times with the Serb just ahead by two.
An underpowered Nadal was swept aside by Djokovic in straight sets in their final meeting at this year's Paris Olympics.
Despite his record-breaking career, Nadal was plagued by injuries, a painful by-product of his all-action, brutal-hitting style.
Ankle, wrist, knee, elbow and abdominal problems caused him to sit out 16 Grand Slam tournaments and withdraw mid-event on five occasions at the majors.
At the 2022 French Open, he admitted that his title charge would have been impossible without daily pain-killing injections in his foot.
Nadal then underwent a medical procedure which required nerves in the foot to be burned to allow him to extend his career.
However, the creaks in the body were getting louder.
An abdominal strain forced him out of Wimbledon where he had made the semi-finals.
He was then struck down with a hip injury at the Australian Open in January as he crashed out in the second round -- his earliest exit at the majors in seven years.
His wife Mery was in tears as she watched him struggle through to the end.
Nadal possibly sensed the writing was on the wall in the Laver Cup in London two years ago when he played alongside Federer in the great Swiss star's final tournament.
At 41, and unable to shake off a knee injury, Federer called it quits.
The two men wept and even grasped each other's hands as the Federer era ended.
"When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too," said Nadal.


Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi

Updated 10 October 2024
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Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi

  • In the first set, the Italian broke Medvedev in the second and sixth games to murmurs of surprise from the crowd
  • Sinner beat Medvedev in the semifinals in Miami, the quarter-finals of the US Open and in the Australian Open final

SHANGHAI: World number one Jannik Sinner had a surprisingly straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory over an injured Daniil Medvedev on Thursday to reach the Shanghai Masters semifinals, where he could face chief rival Carlos Alcaraz.
In the first set, which lasted only 25 minutes, the Italian broke Medvedev in the second and sixth games to murmurs of surprise from the crowd.
The Russian kept holding his shoulder which he sadi had “some niggles” the day before and received medical attention several times during the match.
“I’m obviously very happy, I think we know each other very well... It was a very tactical match,” said Sinner.
“It’s a great feeling to be in the semis here, it’s a very special tournament.”
This was the fifth time Medvedev and Sinner have met in the latter stages of tournaments this year.
Sinner beat Medvedev in the semifinals in Miami, the quarter-finals of the US Open and in the Australian Open final, but the Russian ended the Italian’s hopes in the last eight at Wimbledon in an epic five-set battle.
In the Shanghai semifinal, Sinner could meet Alcaraz again after the Spaniard defeated him at the China Open final in Beijing last week.
Alcaraz will later on Thursday play Czech Tomas Machac in the last eight.


Rashed Al-Qemzi steps up to powerboating F1 as Team Abu Dhabi and Comparato part company

Updated 10 October 2024
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Rashed Al-Qemzi steps up to powerboating F1 as Team Abu Dhabi and Comparato part company

  • Decision to replace young Italian driver was not easy, says team manager Cappellini

Abu Dhabi: Team Abu Dhabi and Alberto Comparato have decided to part company by mutual consent, and the Italian driver will be replaced for the remainder of the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship season by Emirati Rashed Al-Qemzi.

Al-Qemzi, who secured a record fifth UIM F2 world title last month, immediately steps into Abu Dhabi 6 for the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China, the penultimate round of the F1H2O World Championship, on Oct. 17-19.

“The decision to replace Alberto was not easy, but it was a necessary one,” said Team Abu Dhabi manager Guido Cappellini. “It came after a deep series of evaluations and considerations.

“It was a choice made for the good of the team, for powerboating in Abu Dhabi overall, and for Alberto, a young driver who had already been F2 world champion before arriving at F1 inshore.”

Cappellini, a 10-time F1H2O world champion, said the decision to part company with Comparato had been mutually agreed based on results this season, which had not matched the expectations of the team, nor the driver.

Comparato said: “When I arrived at Team Abu Dhabi, under Guido’s management, I thought that this would be the 'home' where I could realize my world championship dreams in F1.

“Unfortunately, the performances did not live up to both our expectations; I have to admit to myself, and to the team, that I don’t feel comfortable and calm enough to be able to give 100 percent of myself.

“I’m sad because I know I’m leaving a top-level team, where many other drivers aspire to go. But we think this is the most appropriate choice today.

“I want to thank Guido and all the guys for the trust they have placed in me. In the future they will be opponents on the water, but people I will always respect in the paddock.”

Cappellini said the decision to replace Comparato, a driver he rates very highly, was a particularly difficult one in view of him being the son of former team-mate and friend, Fabio Comparato.

Already a member of the Team Abu Dhabi F1H2O line-up, Rashed Al-Qemzi will now make his 11th Grand Prix start in Zhengzhou alongside his cousin, veteran Emirati driver Thani Al-Qemzi.

Rashed’s last F1H2O appearance for Team Abu Dhabi came when he replaced Comparato for the inaugural Grand Prix of Bình Định inVietnam in March after the young Italian crashed during qualifying.