FORMER Zimbabwe opening batsman Mark Vermeulen has been caught in the eye of a race storm in the wake of his Facebook post, where he denigrated the country’s black cricketers.
By Kevin Mapasure
Vermeulen, who quit international cricket last year, is training with Mashonaland Eagles ahead of the new domestic season, but his career locally is in jeopardy as black players vow to push for his ban over his comments on social media.
The controversial cricketer, expressed regret at the way blacks had been educated, claiming it was the reason the whites were subjected to racism in the game.
Vermeulen’s history of controversy includes the burning down of the Country Club thatched pavilion in 2006, as well as attacking a cricket fan in England.
In July this year he joined a conversation thread by former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor, where they were discussing a letter written by Proper Utseya raising racial discrimination allegations against Alistair Campbell.
Vermeulen then made the astonishing attack on blacks even calling them apes.
Probably sensing that his former team mate had made a big blunder, Taylor took down the post, but not before some of the players had already taken screenshots.
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Vermeulen’s post reads in full; “Haaaaaa a a a!!!!!!!!!! If we had left them in the bush and never educated them prosper wouldn’t be having these problems because he would be living happily in his mud hut eating ground up maize so of course it’s our fault every single problem a black has is because of white people that’s why racism is only able to work one way because we basically fxxxd up the apes’ lives.”
His fellow players are livid he made such comments about people he interacts with almost daily.
Some have said they will boycott domestic cricket if no action is taken by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and they will forward a written petition to the administrators.
A comment could not be obtained from Vermeulen yesterday, but it was established that the page from where the derogatory comments originated is indeed his.
It also emerged yesterday that Vermeulen has since apologised to some of the players saying he had over reacted to the situation.
He also claimed that he was bitter since he was also a subject of racism by blacks.
Vermeulen was struck on the head by a ball during a match against India in 2004 and before that he had been sent home from a tour of England over disciplinary problems.
In 2006 he was banned from playing cricket in England and Wales after violent altercation with spectators.
Vermeulen was in 2008 cleared on arson charges on the grounds of mental illness.he
