Banton can still crash T20 party
Brown calls for action
KEV BROWN has demanded zero tolerance towards players who blindside rivals with late tackles.
The Salford scrum-half was treated by medical staff for several minutes after he was floored by Darnell McIntosh during last Friday’s 12-10 home loss to Huddersfield.
Brown, who has suffered a number of concussions over the years, played on but woke up the following day unable to move his neck.
He said: “I wasn’t concussed but it was a classic whiplash injury. I had passed the ball and didn’t see it coming so couldn’t brace myself.
“I have had that all my career, with people trying to stop you attacking the line and creating a chance, but it is really frustrating.”
The sport’s bosses have vowed to clamp down on cheap-shot hits but Brown says more needs to be done.
McIntosh was not penalised at the
CHRIS SILVERWOOD says he is close to finalising his World T20 line-up but insists there is still time for late bolters like Tom Banton to book a seat on the plane. England’s coach admitted he and captain Eoin Morgan fielded their strongest side for the 2-1 T20 series win against South Africa, barring injured Jofra Archer. But with 12 players time and also escaped punishment when the match review panel studied video of the incident.
Brown added: “When I got hit, I was pretty certain he would have got something. It was on Sky and they showed it four times from different angles and none of them look legal.
“There is no worse feeling than when you get hit in the back when you are relaxed. Your head ricochets back.
“Referees have to stop it. It is scary for everyone when it happens, especially your family when they see you go down.”
Giants boss Simon Woolford claimed Brown feigned the injury to try and get McIntosh in trouble.
Woolford also accused Devils boss
from GIDEON BROOKS set to play in the Pakistan Super League, 13 having landed gigs in the Indian Premier League, and with the domestic T20 Blast and The Hundred to come, Silverwood has challenged fringe players to state their case.
Banton (left), Liam Livingstone, James Vince, Lewis Gregory, Dawid Malan and Liam Dawson are all set to play PSL, which (inset)
Ian Watson of trying to get full-back McIntosh suspended by highlighting the incident after the game.
Brown, who denies Woolford’s play-acting accusation, was later sin-binned for head-butting Jordan Turner in a tackle.
Turner accused him of doing it on purpose and Brown was hit with a two-match suspension yesterday.
But he said: “It was not intentional but I apologise because it must not have been nice to be on the end of.
“I also apologised to my teammates because I let them down and it cost us the game.” REFEREE Ben Thaler has hired lawyer Richard Cramer after he was suspended by the RFL over an alleged incident before the Leeds v Hull game earlier this month. runs from this week to mid-March.
Banton and Harry Gurney have also landed squad places alongside England’s main stars in the IPL, starting March 23 to May 12.
“I don’t think we are far away from putting that squad together,” said Silverwood.
“We have seen an improvement throughout the series, so I don’t think we are a million miles away.
Obviously, Archer will come back, potentially Banton, yes. We’ll keep an eye on who is doing well out there as well.”
Focus now switches to Test cricket and Sri Lanka next month, with Silverwood backing Jos Buttler to find his red-ball form after a half-century in the final T20.
He said: “Runs are runs and runs breed confidence, so hopefully he will take a lot of confidence from it and take that into Sri Lanka.”