A lighthearted column by Cape Times columnist John Scott has New Zealand’s top cricket bosses bleating.
|||A lighthearted column by Cape Times columnist John Scott has New Zealand’s top cricket bosses bleating.
In his satiric column on Monday, Scott described the Kiwis’ “special relationship with sheep – all 69 million of them” and with sport.
But it was his mention of captain Brendon McCullum’s less than sportsmanlike conduct on two occasions that raised the ire of New Zealand Cricket.
“New Zealanders aren’t all bad sports,” Scott wrote, before describing how some spectators had apparently shouted abuse at South African fielders during the first T20 match in Wellington.
But, he said, McCullum was not an example of a good sport.
“So I’ll be watching McCullum very carefully in his remaining matches against the Proteas,” wrote Scott. “I don’t trust him. And if I feel the need to I shall shout abuse at him, albeit from the safety of our lounge. I might even suggest he has a relationship with one of the 69 million.
“I know Bryce Lawrence is still the New Zealander South Africans most love to hate, but I believe he is just incompetent, not a crook.”
Ellery Tappin, spokesperson for New Zealand Cricket, sent an official complaint by e-mail to Cape Times executive editor Alide
Dasnois and Independent Newspapers Cape editor-in-chief Chris Whitfield yesterday, describing the column as “inaccurate, defamatory” and asking for it to be “promptly removed” from the Cape Times website.
“Our deep concern about the content has been expressed to Cricket South Africa chief executive, Gerald Majola, and team manager, Mohammad Moosjaee,” Tappin wrote.
Attached to the e-mail was a letter of “deep concern” from New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White.
“Brendon McCullum is an incredibly well liked and well respected international player who does not deserve to have his character attacked.....
“.... It is a completely slanderous to label him a ‘cheat’ or ‘crook’ and he is well within his rights to take legal action based on defamatory nature of your insults.”
White further wrote: “We do not believe the piece is fair, accurate or appropriate and at the very least should be removed from the... website. Failure to retract your post will force NZC to take the matter further.”
Whitfield and Dasnois responded to Tappin’s e-mail with: “Are you serious? Or are you indulging in some of the same sort of playful commentary as John Scott? Please let us know.”
Scott said the column had been written in a lighthearted style but conceded it might have been provocative – as columnists were expected to be. - Cape Times
michelle.jones@inl.co.za