Cricket: Morne Morkel Racially Abused by Australian Crowd

A member of the crowd at Hobart's Bellerive Oval was charged with abusing a white South African player during the Australia against South Africa one-day-international.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said a person in the crowd allegedly racially abused Morne Morkel during the Australian innings yesterday morning.

Morkel, 12th man in yesterday's one day international match, did not clearly hear the insult, but a spokesman for the South African team said the remark was "fairly unpleasant".

Cricket Australia said last night it had contacted the South African team and the nation's cricket authorities over the issue.

A policeman at the ground overheard the abuse and interviewed the alleged offender, who was last night charged with racial vilification. The incident, which took the polish off Australia's dramatic five-run victory yesterday, follows a string of racial controversies in cricket.


News Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/
Image Source: Neil Richardson of http://www.examiner.com.au/