January 31, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 1, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30: South African cricket boss Gerald Majola has threatened to boycott future tours of Australia if racial abuse towards the Proteas continues, a South African daily reported on Monday.

Majola was quoted by the Durban-based The Mercury as saying that incidents of racial abuse in Australia were “very serious.”

“If it continues, yes, we would look seriously about whether we return here for another series,” Majola was quoted as telling the paper shortly after arrival in Perth were South Africa plays Sri Lanka in the VB triangular series on Tuesday.

“It is something that we never thought we would hear about. The sad thing is that it has continued around Australia. It hasn’t just been limited to one state or one city,” Majola told the paper.

The South African national squad has lodged complaints of racial taunting which started during the first Test at the Waca cricket ground in December when several players were abused.

Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Garnett Kruger and Shaun Pollock were taunted in Afrikaans as “kaffirs” or “kaffir brothers”, the racially derogatory term for a black person.

This prompted former South African captain and chief executive Ali Bacher to call for life bans for offenders.

In the second Test in Melbourne a man was ejected from the ground for making racist and offensive comments towards paceman Andre Nel.

The paper added that security had been beefed up ahead of Tuesday’s match.

South African cricket spokesman Tshepo Tsotsotso told AFP: “From what I understand the comments were made by him (Majola) upon arrival in Australia.”

He said the issue arose from a team management discussion on Saturday.

“As to how far the boycott will be carried out is still uncertain at this point,” Tsotsotso said.—AFP