Tuesday, 31st July 2007 at 7:11 pm

Drinking problem in SA cricket?

Furious damage control out of Cricket South Africa’s headquarters today, in response to an article in this month’s Wisden Cricketer. The offending piece concerns the resignation of Adrian le Roux, the team’s fitness trainer; originally his departure was explained by a desire to spend more time with his family, but the Wisden piece - citing a leaked report Le Roux prepared for CSA before he quit - suggests the team’s fondness for a few quiet drinks was the real reason behind Le Roux’s resignation.

This has all been strenuously denied in a blur of spin doctoring, with even Le Roux attempting to play down the leak of what was supposedly a confidential report. But Feverpitcher has been conducting investigations today, and it would appear that (from our sources) there is indeed a drinking problem in the South African team - and one that needs urgent attention.

For according to our source, not one member of the current South African team would reach half the number of beers on a flight from Sydney to London that David Boon managed on his legendary pre-Ashes trip (the exact number is slightly hazy, but 58 is widely accepted as being fairly accurate). And not only that, but several of the team, Feverpitcher understands, were spotted in the West Indies during the World Cup drinking Baccardi Breezers, Smirnoff Spins, and (steel yourself for this one, fellow South Africans) white wine spritzers.

We wish we were making this up, but we’re not. It’s devastating news, and if Adrian le Roux did indeed resign, we can fully understand - the shame at being unable to bring the national cricket squad, ambassadors for a nation built on Castle, Klipdrift and mampoer, must have been considerable. Whether Boon is available to replace Le Roux is still being investigated: Feverpitcher can’t see the Australian brought on board soon enough.

• Read Cricket South Africa’s response to the Wisden article here; and get the original piece in this month’s edition of the Wisden Cricketer.