Ex-Zimbabwe cricketer Mark Vermeulen banned for 'apes' remark
October 17, 2015 02:33
Former Zimbabwe Test batsman Mark Vermeulen has been banned from all cricket activities for referring to black people as "apes".
The 36-year-old, who played nine Tests and 43 one-day internationals, made his views in a Facebook post in July.
Vermeulen was responding to a complaint by Prosper Utseya, which alleged that there was racism in Zimbabwe cricket.
"Racism is abominable and there can be no defence for it," Cricket Zimbabwe said in a statement.
On Friday, a Zimbabwean newspaper published an apology from Vermeulen. In it, the former international said that he had made a personal apology to Utseya, and that it had been accepted.
"I know my comments were over the top and I apologise to all that I have offended. But as a cricketer, it's how our minds work," he said.