Aussie cricketer reveals his S

Johannesburg Skyline via wikimedia commons

Aussie cricketer reveals his South African crime shock

Ex-international cricketer Brett Geeves has spoken out about his brush with danger in ‘crime capital of the world’ Johannesburg

Aussie cricketer reveals his S

Johannesburg Skyline via wikimedia commons

Ex-Australian international cricketer Brett Geeves has spoken out about his brush with crime in Johannesburg.

Called up at short notice to join the tour of South Africa in 2009, Geeves flew into OR Tambo airport in with no idea of the potential danger that lay in store for him.

I am not a well-travelled man, so had no idea that catching a cab in Joburg, the crime capital of the world, while carrying two enormous bags and a laptop bag was a reasonably dangerous assignment,” he said in an article for Fox Sports.

Despite expecting to be met in arrivals by a friendly face, the fast bowler was left to his own devices as he tried to reach the Wanderers stadium.

He went on to explain: “The giveaway was the open admission from the driver that I had just made him a target for both abduction and death. And myself a valuable commodity for ransom.

“I took all my Cricket Australia clothing off immediately as the driver’s sweating and shaking increased.

“As we approached the ground to within about 500 metres, I was informed that I would be taken no closer and was asked to exit the vehicle.”

It got even worse for luckless Geeves when the tour moved on to Cape Town for the third one-day international. He’d been left out of the first two, in case you were wondering.

Michael Clarke even had more time for Graeme Smith than his own team-mate.
Michael Clarke even had more time for Graeme Smith than his own team-mate.

First, he was snubbed in the street by future Test captain Michael Clarke and his then girlfriend, Lara Bingle.

He recalls: “Michael and Lara walked straight past me without any tip of the cap, no smile, zero acknowledgement.

“I think they may have turned around when I burst out laughing, but I can’t be sure.”

To put the tin hat on the tour from hell, Geeves failed to make it through the second, and final, ODI of his unfulfilled international career.

He adds: “Sadly, in the run chase I walked across my stumps whilst batting and had my sandshoe caved in by the Morkel who isn’t even the good one. The result was a broken foot and I was sent home.”

Still, at least he wasn’t actually held to ransom and didn’t have to face the ‘good’ Morkel.

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