/ 18 September 2007

England skipper apologises for visiting lap-dancing club

England captain Paul Collingwood apologised on Tuesday for visiting a lap-dancing club one day before playing South Africa in Twenty20 World Championship.

”It’s obviously unacceptable and I’ll have to learn from that,” Collingwood said. ”I made a mistake.”

Collingwood visited the club in Cape Town after England had lost to Australia on Friday by eight wickets.

”[I] had a beer and thought ‘I need to get out of this place’,” Collingwood said.

Britain’s the Sun newspaper, which reported the story in its Tuesday edition, said Collingwood left in the early hours of Saturday morning.

England lost on Sunday to South Africa by 19 runs, and were again defeated on Tuesday by New Zealand by five runs. The third straight defeat means England are now unlikely to advance to the semifinals.

Cricinfo reported that David Graveney, England’s chairperson of selectors, had reported the matter to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which would decide on any disciplinary measures.

Michael Vaughan, the England Test captain, relinquished the one-day leadership after England’s disappointing performance in this year’s World Cup.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the vice-captaincy during that tournament after a widely reported drinking session in March on the eve of a match. — Sapa-AP