Furious Yorkshire County Cricket Club are demanding an apology from a national newspaper for what they see as "an attack on the memory" of former captain Phil Carrick whose funeral service was being held at Bradford Cathedral today, writes David Warner

When the fifth and final Test between England and South Africa began at Centurion Park, last week, England's players wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Carrick.

The Daily Telegraph cricket correspondent Michael Henderson wrote in his report of the first day's play: "Carrick was a much-respected player and spent a winter playing on this ground, but at the risk of sounding heartless, it seemed a peculiar gesture.

"Last year, at Brisbane, England players observed a similar tribute after Darren Gough's grandfather died. Surely it is not impertinent to say that armbands should be worn by Test players only to honour the truly outstanding performers. Otherwise they will be worn two or three times a year, and become too prominent an attachment. The gesture was well meant but it should have been resisted."

But Yorkshire chief executive Chris Hassell has written to the newspaper to register the strongest possible protest at what he considers to be "insensitive and insulting comments".

Hassell says that Carrick's death at the age of 47 was a tragedy for his family and Yorkshire cricket and that the player was deserving of better respect.

He continues: "His contribution to the game ranks among the best in County cricket. He was perhaps unfortunate in not gaining selection for England and many would argue he should have been.

"The presence of four of his former colleagues in the England squad may well have had a bearing on this much appreciated gesture by the team and the management.

"He would also have been acquainted with a number of the opposition having toured South Africa with Yorkshire in 1992, the first such tour after the apartheid barriers had been dismantled, not forgetting the many hundreds of England supporters present at the match.

"To have launched such an attack on the memory of such a well respected member of our cricket fraternity is deeply offensive to those in Yorkshire and, I would hope, elsewhere."

Meanwhile, Yorkshire have arranged an emergency meeting of the general committee at Headingley on Saturday morning to discuss the controversy caused by refusing to allow a motion of no confidence tabled by businessman Paul Ablett go go on to the agenda for the annual meeting.

Ablett is standing for election in West District and Yorkshire have ruled that a candidate cannot propose a resolution which is critical of the club, but Ablett insists that the resolution is valid.

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