LOCAL cricket was in uproar yesterday with the all-Chinese and local-born Dragons squad boycotting the Hong Kong Cricket Association over a report which implied that all local players were a 'load of imbeciles'.
The territory's development programme was further thrown into jeopardy following the shock resignation of senior Dragons official, Bharat Gohel, as manager of the Hong Kong squad for the Tuanku Ja'afar Tournament.
An angry Gohel has asked for the resignation of the entire selection panel, specifically Jim Middleton, who had stated that no change would be made to Hong Kong's Tuanku Ja'afar squad because he did not want to pick 'imbeciles' to represent the territory.
Middleton was quoted as saying: 'The squad will remain the same as originally as selected. We are not going to pick a load of imbeciles.' Middleton was unavailable for comment yesterday.
The HKCA heirarchy, including the chairman of selectors Mike Walsh, distanced themselves from Middleton's comments.
'The Association does not stand by what Jim Middleton has said,' Peter Slack, HKCA chairman, said yesterday. 'His comments do not represent our views and our commitment to developing the game in the local community.' Slack added: 'Action speaks louder than words. And everyone can see what we have done in the past few years to raise the profile of the local cricketer.' But Slack was at a loss to explain what course of action the HKCA would take over the controversy.
The affair snowballed after the selectors refused to change the composition of the Tuanku Ja'afar team for next month's tournament in Malaysia despite the recent ICC ruling which encourages associate members to play more local-born players in their teams.
