Vermeulen banned for life

Controversial batsman Mark Vermeulen has been banned from all cricket by Zimbabwe Cricket for engaging in a racist tirade on social media site Facebook in which he denigrated black Zimbabweans by referring them as "apes".

In a statement released on Friday, Cricket Zimbabwe said that Vermeulen "owned up to repulsive remarks" which reflects "prejudice and plain ignorance".

In an Facebook conversation thread started by former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor over Proper Utseya's claims of racial discrimination by Alistair Campbell, Vermeulen expressed regret at the way blacks had been educated, claiming it was the reason the whites were subjected to racism in the game.

The statement added that ZC "find Vermeulen's Facebook comment distasteful and unacceptable particularly for a senior sportsman who should have learnt from playing in Zimbabwe and abroad that there is no place for racism in sport.