Strauss orders gag on Aussie scandal
ENGLAND cricket director Andrew Strauss has ordered the Test squad not to talk in any detail about the Australian ball-tampering scandal.
The England players were keen to have their say after being on the receiving end of over-the-top sledging as well as a 4-0 defeat in Australia.
Strauss, who had to return early from the Ashes because of his wife’s illness, is aware that England players strongly believe Steve Smith’s side were cheating against them this winter. However, the former captain has persuaded the squad to say they know nothing about anything untoward during the Ashes, even though England’s management and players privately suspect the reverse.
Villain of the piece David Warner, who is unlikely to play for Australia again, allegedly even boasted to a couple of England players over drinks at the end of the series how he goes about altering the condition of the ball.
The gagging order stops Jonny Bairstow, for instance, hitting back at self- confessed balltamperer Cameron Bancroft, who had made so much of the innocuous headbutt greeting Bairstow gave him in a Perth bar last October.
THE BBC’s dinosaur voice of golf Peter Alliss, who gave the strongest hint he would retire from commentary last year, will be part of the Beeb’s team at the Masters next week. Alliss is carrying on aged 87 despite telling Newsweek last year that his advanced age and health issues made it increasingly difficult for him to work at tournaments. His travel plans also require a lot of organisation. The BBC, with whom Alliss is on a rolling one-year contract, will allow him to retire on his own terms having stubbornly kept faith with him despite his old-school comments on air frequently leading to accusations of sexism or racism.
IT doesn’t say much for Sky Sports News’ much-trumpeted commitment to women in sport that they have parted company with one of their best known female presenters Natalie Sawyer (right) after 18 years in the role. The popular and talented Sawyer, who left this week, was told earlier this month that her contract would not be renewed. It is understood management felt her Sky career had run its course.
THERE was significant backtracking by Hull City owner Assem Allam yesterday when the Championship club reverted to a City tag on social media, having fought for three years to be called Hull Tigers despite two rejected official bids.