Full NZC inquiry if complaint laid (24 August 1999)

24 August 1999

Full NZC inquiry if complaint laid

Daryl Holden

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Chris Doig says a full inquiry will be made into allegations of racial slurs being made by the Black Caps against Sri Lanka A if an official complaint is laid.

Sri Lanka A manager Stanley Jayasinghe, who has managed several teams to New Zealand in the past, told the Times newspaper in England at the weekend that the incident occurred during their one-day match against the New Zealand tourists at Milton Keynes near London on July 7.

He claimed his players were called "black monkeys" and that the worst incident occurred when New Zealand bowler Shayne O'Connor was hit for several boundaries in one over.

Mr Jayasinghe would not name the New Zealand players who had allegedly made racial comments, but said he would do so in his letter to the NZC board next week.

"I think they should be told who called my players black monkeys," he said.

Doig said until he read of the allegations on Sunday he was unaware of any such incidents.

"I've spoken to our manager (John Graham) and he spoke to the Sri Lankan manager at the conclusion of the game, and absolutely nothing was said at that stage," Doig said.

"I've also spoken to the English Cricket Board and there has been absolutely nothing official about this at all.

"At this stage it is nothing more than rumour and until it becomes official we obviously won't be able to act on it.

"But having said that, if Sri Lanka makes an official complaint to New Zealand it will be thoroughly investigated because there is absolutely no way that the team management or New Zealand Cricket condones racial slurs. But we don't believe that has happened.

"There is no evidence of it from our point of view."

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)