An official complaint is to be lodged against veteran Australian commentator Dean Jones for a remark he made, Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola said on Monday.
Cricket South Africa said in a news release Jones was heard to say on a live TV broadcast that ”the terrorist has got another wicket” when Proteas fielder Hashim Amla caught Kumar Sangakkara during the fourth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo on Monday.
Majola said: ”We take the strongest exception to this comment, and we will lodge an official complaint with the host broadcaster, Ten Sports, that employs him. We will be asking for his immediate suspension and a full apology.
”The switchboards of both Cricket South Africa and Supersport, that takes a feed of the broadcast to South African audiences, have been jammed with calls from some very angry people.
”Supersport has confirmed Jones’s remark after viewing tapes of the incident and his outrageous comment is heard quite clearly. Supersport has already lodged its official complaint with Ten Sports.
”This kind of insulting racial stereotyping has no place in cricket and must be stamped on swiftly.”
Majola said the matter will also be reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC), under whose auspices the match was being played.
”The ICC has strongly condemned racism and we will be discussing the matter with them,” he said. — Sapa