Cricket-Lloyd retires from commentary a month after Rafiq testimony and apology

[December 21, 2021] 

(Reuters) - Cricket commentator David Lloyd announced his retirement from Sky Sports on Tuesday, a month after he was named by Azeem Rafiq in his testimony about a culture of widespread racism at his county club Yorkshire.

Lloyd, a former England player and coach, has been behind the microphone with Sky Cricket for 22 years.

He apologised last month when Rafiq said the 74-year-old was a "closet racist" after he made disparaging comments about Asian cricketers in 2020. Sky had said they would be investigating Lloyd's comments.
 

Commentator David Lloyd. Mandatory Credit: Action Images/Jed Leicester

"With the passing of Bob Willis and after the decision to move on by my good friends David Gower, Ian Botham and more recently Michael Holding, the commentary box feels a little emptier," Lloyd said in a statement.

"And so I feel it is time for me to do the same and move on to the next chapter... I'm done now with Sweet Caroline but in the words of Elton John, I'm still standing!"

Lloyd played nine tests and eight one-day internationals for England between 1973 and 1980, and he coached the team from 1996 to 1999.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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