Age case lost

Former umpires Peter Willey and George Sharp lost their age discrimination case against the England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday. Willey and Sharp were forced into retirement having reached the ECB’s maximum age of 65, leading to claims for unfair dismissal and age discrimination. But an employment tribunal, heard by Judge Wade in London last month, issued a written judgement to the parties on Friday in the governing body’s favour. The ECB issued a statement that read: ‘‘We welcome today’s decision which recognises that our current retirement policy for umpires is firmly based on sound legal principles and not discriminatory on grounds of age. ECB will continue to implement a retirement age of 65 in the interests of inter-generational fairness and in order to ensure that umpiring remains a viable career option for professional cricketers who are nearing the end of their playing careers.’’