Cricket star sacked after walking out mid-match and catching flight to UK | Cricket | Sport

A cricketer has been sacked by his team after walking out of a domestic final and catching a plane to England. Beyers Swanepoel, a South African all-rounder, left of his own accord during the Lions’ one-day final against the Titans at the end of last month. Nobody on his team knew why he had decided to leave and they were forced to complete the match with only 10 players. They ended up losing by three wickets off the penultimate ball.

Swanepoel had actually walked out so that he could travel to the airport in Johannesburg and board a plane to the UK, having signed to play for Worcestershire this summer. When this became clear, an investigation was launched by Cricket South Africa and his No-Objection Certificate (NOC), a crucial piece of documentation needed to play abroad, was withheld.

It was later revealed that Swanepoel had been sacked by the Lions, who announced on Thursday that his contract had been terminated with immediate effect.

The cricketer, who remains in England, has since apologised. He said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Lions Cricket for the opportunity to represent the Union.

“I loved my season representing the Pride and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I sincerely apologise to the entire Lions family for what transpired in the final and can assure everyone that many lessons have been learnt.”

Lions chief executive Jono Leaf-Wright added: “It has been an unfortunate period for all parties involved, but we have now brought the matter to a close, allowing everyone to move forward.

“At Lions Cricket, we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards and take matters of this nature very seriously.”

Swanepoel missed Worcestershire’s opening game of the season against Derbyshire and remains without his NOC ahead of their upcoming trip to Lord’s to face Middlesex.

Worcestershire, who were forced to sign Oliver Hannon-Dalby on loan from Warwickshire as emergency cover, are hoping that Swanepoel will be available to play against Kent later this month, according to The Telegraph.

In a statement, they said: “The club remains in contact with the relevant parties regarding Beyers’ current status and any further regulatory requirements, including the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process with Cricket South Africa.

“At this stage, it would be premature to provide a definitive timeframe for Beyers joining the squad.”