An apologetic Cricket South Africa (CSA) is in damage control over a photograph showing two of its officials posing with fans wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks in Port Elizabeth.
An image emerged on Saturday of Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi grinning with three supporters, who donned the masks in an oafish attempt to taunt David Warner during the second Test.
Eksteen is CSA’s head of commercial and marketing, while Kazi is the body’s head of communications.
CSA is probing the matter. Both officials are under investigation for associating themselves with the unsavoury attempt to embarrass Warner and wife Candice, who had attended day one at St George’s Park with the couple’s two children.
“On behalf of CSA, I extend my sincere apologies to the board of Cricket Australia (CA), its officials, team management, players and their families,” CSA president Chris Nenzani said in a statement.
Candice had a tryst more than 10 years ago with Williams.
“CSA does not associate itself with these actions and urges all Protea supporters from refraining from being involved in distasteful or unwelcome actions that may impact the image of the sport and its supporters,” the sporting body said.
It was a remark from Quinton de Kock during the first Test about Warner’s wife that ignited a fit of rage, with the vice-captain later dubbing that comment “vile and disgusting”.
Cricket Australia is understood to be furious with the conduct of Eksteen and Kazi, stunned that officials would be OK with the low-brow actions of supporters.
The masks were banned initially by venue security, but CSA overruled that order on Friday. The masks have since been banned again.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Geez, under your views, the send offs in the next test should be pretty good given Rabada's display!
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
How has Murali the Chucker come into this discussion?
OJP
Guest
not that was caught on tape and broadcast around the world, but given that around a simllar time R. Marsh was happy to bring Mrs Botham into the conversation (and this is often held up as some high quality sledging) its not completley beyond the realms of possibility Andy.
Likkewaan
Roar Rookie
Warner is a tool....he should know that if he can dish it out he should be able to take it, but no he showed that he can't. I think the SBW masks are funny.
Jeff
Guest
So you basically join a thread and take the conversation to somewhere completely different and unrelated to the main topic. Well done, you have added zero value and have manage to deflect the hypocrisy of the opening poster.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Oh please, please do explain how my question is defending anyone. You seem to be misinterpreting my preference for players' names to be spelled correctly with an allegiance to one side of this sledging issue. That would be yet another mistake on your part.
Jake
Guest
How does writing his wife's name on his bandage indicate he can see the supposed funny side? There is nothing funny about about it. Doesn't matter whether its someone wife, mother, sister or daughter. Speaks volumes that you think it is funny.
Dutski
Roar Guru
So essentially it's "They did something bad 43 years ago so anything that is done to them now is fair game". I better stop before I get on your bad side - you'll hold it against me for the rest of my life. Assuming I live another 43 years. We'll be disagreeing on this. Hope you enjoy the remainder of the Test series.
Jacko
Guest
Agree
Jacko
Guest
Jake if Warner can see the funny side and write his wifes and kids name on his hand bandage that covers 90% of his hand then hopefully you can move on as well. Its these sorts of reactions that create the issues to start with. As for the Insulting someones wife bit well is it ok to insult someones mum and sister but not someones wife eh? If Warner and DeKock had not been niggly to start with then this escalation would never have happened but just cast your mind back to the Ashes before the last one and it was masks of a certain English cricketer being paraded in Ausd because the cricketer didnt walk when he knicked the ball...Move on...build a bridge
Zozza
Guest
No mate, not kidding. Ask Glenn Turner what Ian Chapple's Australian Team used to say about his (Indian) wife in the slips in 1974. Not sure what was said by De Kok, but Warner is fair game in my book. He has acted like a tool with his sledging since making the Aussie Team and I couldn't give a rats what De Kock said to him to be frank. The little twerp deserves all he gets mate.
Jeff
Guest
I have no issues with the Hadlee chant and I'm a kiwi. That's just a bit of fun. But how the Aussie crowds treated Murali was nothing short of disgraceful and was on par with the South Africans wearing SBW masks now.
Irie4
Guest
No sympathy for any of them here.
Jeff
Guest
Big difference between accidentally misspelling a person's name by missing out a letter than to deliberately misspell a person's name to give it a derogatory meaning. It's obvious that you are both slow and will do anything to defend your team and countrymen, but that's the difference.
Andy Thompson
Roar Pro
No one said anything about Hadlee's wife though, did they?
Bakkies
Guest
'One SA fan . You said it ' Dav it was the bloke who produced and distributed the masks said it.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Anyone else finding it hard to have any sympathy whatsoever for anyone involved in all of this?
Dutski
Roar Guru
I have no problems with anyone sledging Warner on the pitch if it's about his cricket. Leave the family stuff out of it and I'm fine with it. Rabada giving the guy a spray? No problem. The crowd chanting "Warner can't bat" or anything like that, or even "Warner's a [insert Hadlee chant here]". That's fine. But to dredge up his wife's sexual history from a previous relationship is him "getting what's coming to him"??? You're kidding, right?
Zozza
Guest
The behaviour of Aussie Cricketers and Aussie crowds has not "moved on" in those 28 years. In fact, its worse. Warner acts like a punk, and can't hack it when its dished back at him.
Jake
Guest
"I actually think the masks are funny. Just a bit of banter between teams and opposing spectators." So humiliating a players wife while she is watching the game with her children is funny to you? bell-end