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Journalism of Courage
JOHANNESBURG, March 13: South Africa’s team fitness trainer Paddy Upton was fined 1,000 Rand ($ 201) by the United Cricket Board (UCB) Disciplinary Committee today after being found guilty of misconduct.
Upton was accused, along with pace bowler Fanie de Villiers, of making racial comments to members of the crowd during the second Test against Pakistan at Durban last week. De Villiers was not fined.
De Villiers said on satellite station M-Net: “There were two guys, one in particular, who was shouting racially obscene comments to our guys on the field, calling us racists and swearing very, very badly, and the worst part was that he was surrounded by three or four hundred young kids who could obviously hear everything.
“Paddy and I went down to the gentleman — at the request of Hansie (Cronje) and the team — and tried to invite him up to the dressing room to discuss his grievances. But he didn’t want to come.”
Off-spinner Pat Symcox was also accused of making racial comments to young Asian fansafter apparently refusing to sign autographs.
