ZCZC
BSP-26
CRICKET-ENG-AUS-MOEEN-RACISM
Cricket Australia closes probe into Moeen Ali ‘Osama’ claim
SYDNEY, Sept 24, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Cricket Australia announced Monday it
has closed its investigation into Moeen Ali’s claim he was called “Osama”
during the 2015 Ashes series, after failing to unearth new details on the
allegation.
The England all-rounder and practising Muslim made the claim in his
autobiography, an extract of which was published in Britain’s Times newspaper
earlier this month.
Moeen said he was on the receiving end of the slur, a reference to late
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, from an unnamed opponent during his Ashes
debut in Cardiff.
“An Australian player turned to me on the field and said, ‘Take that,
Osama’. I could not believe what I had heard. I remember going really red. I
have never been so angry on a cricket field,” said the 31-year-old.
Cricket Australia announced it was launching an investigation, saying the
comment was “unacceptable”.
But a CA spokesman said: “We have followed up with the ECB (England and
Wales Cricket Board) and our team management and confirmed that the incident
was investigated at the time, with a response provided to Moeen.
“Moeen elected not to progress the matter any further and we have not been
able to ascertain any new additional evidence through our enquiries. As such,
the matter is considered closed.”
Moeen said the Australian player in question had denied making the comment
to him at the time.
“I told a couple of the guys what the player had said to me and I think
(England coach) Trevor Bayliss (who is himself Australian) must have raised
it with Darren Lehmann, the (then) Australians’ coach,” he said.
“Lehmann asked the player, ‘Did you call Moeen Osama?’ He denied it,
saying, ‘No, I said, “Take that, you part-timer”‘.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/1920HRS