OVERSEAS STAR FORCED TO UNDERGO GENDER TESTING [21/08/09 15:21:02]

Abberton’s controversial New Zealand batsman Steve Snell has shrugged off the gender challenge controversy shrouding his matchwining bowling performance against Galleywood last weekend. Snell has been dogged by suspicion about his gender since emerging on the Essex cricket scene at the start of the 2008 season.

As a result, he has been asked by the English Cricket Board (ECB) to undergo a gender test. When asked to comment by reporters, the 27-year-old (pictured right) replied: "I don't give a f*** about it." It has emerged that the ECB first considered requesting the farmboy from rural Waikato to undergo a gender test after he posted what was then a PDQ league best 272 against Gosfield last season.

Due to the speed of his rise from unknown competitor to a major force in the local cricketing arena, a gender test, which takes several weeks to complete, could not be done in time for this weekend’s fixtures hence his exclusion from the squads.

The ECB policy document on gender verification states that one of the steps required for handling such cases is that "the player is referred to the investigating authority in confidence for further investigation and advice". The ECB announced their decision regarding the test prior to Snell's participation in the Galleywood fixture where he netted 4-36, an impressive haul for what is, realistically, a net bowler. This decision has resulted in criticism of the sport's governing body.

"It's awful he had to compete with this hanging over her head," said club Secretary Ray Clay. "It should have been sorted out much, much sooner than this. That's probably why the boy bowled so many wides." Snell’s skipper, Kemsley Robb believes that in the current climate the ECB had to act on the issue but was critical of the manner in which this was done. "We have to take it at face value that he is a man as he refuses to shower with us after the game," said the South African.

ECB President Sir Rudolph Hucker, MBE spoke up when he informed the website: "The consensus is that it is highly unfair and embarrassing to the player but at the same time we've had so many cricketers who have doped over the last decade in this sport, so we know people will cheat for success."

This was countered by Abberton’s longstanding Treasurer Johnny ‘Two Teas’ Everett: "I think what the ECB is doing is the right thing in terms of dealing with the situation, but the way they're dealing with it is all wrong. They are a load of w***ers anyhow"

Kiwi teammate Matthew ‘The Clam’ Gilray (whose Clamometer reading peaked at a career high of 9.5 earlier this week) was similarly damning of the decision and suggested the ECB may have been attempting to force Snell’s withdrawal. "I think the timing is incredibly unfair on Steve," said Gilray. "I would be quite surprised if Steve turned out to be a doll, but everybody at home knows that the Waikato region is even more strange than your own Mersea Island."

The Hon Trevor ‘Golden Duck’ Mallard, New Zealand Minister of Sport, Fitness and Leisure was furious over the treatment of Snell. "Without putting words in the mouth of the ECB, I think there was an assumption that maybe the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA) would understand the questions that were going to be asked and might have persuaded him not to travel to England but that was never going to happen."

Some cynics can recall the famous case of German high jumper Dora Ratjen, who competed at the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 but was later revealed to be a chap named Hermann. The comparison was ridiculous - Ratjen was forced to conceal his gender by the Nazi government and had been born and raised a man - and the reaction from the NZPA is, understanably, indignant.

Until the results of the gender test are known there is a degree of silence. Yet here at The Brow a cloud of official suspicion was being allowed to gather before anything had been proved. Head of Security John Stockbidge (70) added fuel to the fire when he proclaimed "I always knew there was something strange about that c**t. You only had to look at him compared to those other w***ers to realise he was different".