NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham has allegedly been caught out for copping a lifetime ban from cricket back in the 1970s.
The 61-year-old took part in the annual politicians against the press social game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The politicians went on to gain victory in the game, according to The Daily Telegraph, however, the win may be in dispute due to a hilarious ruling.
The scorecard was handed to a Cricket NSW representative who notice a glaring note.
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It seems Latham should’ve steered clear from the cricket pitch.
A Cricket NSW spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph: “Apparently a life ban from the 1970s is still in place.”
Apparently, the former Federal Labor leader was forced to give up the bat and ball after having quite the fiery run-in with an umpire while playing for Sydney University.
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The spokesman says that allegedly during the 1979 season Latham had abused the official and stuck two fingers up after being given out during a fourth-grade game.
He was meant to front a judiciary, but apparently never turned up and as such the ban remains in place.
That essentially means the press side could potentially throw in a complaint to the politicians about fielding a banned player.
Perhaps even more embarrassing than the ban is the fact that Latham went out for a duck anyway during the game.
However, Latham has a bit of a different recollection of the events from the 70s.
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He told The Daily Telegraph: “I had a long-running dispute with an umpire during the 1979 season.
“He fired me out LBW when I was 12 inches outside the off stump. Naturally, I told him what I thought of him.”
However, he says he had served the subsequent ban.
He said: “But I did attend the judiciary and was banned for one game. I played the rest of the season.
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“It’s amazing that 43 years later, for a social game, I get picked up for this. Of course on one level it is absolutely hilarious but on another level it is totally incorrect.”
And just as he did the umpire, he had to put in a vicious sledge to the person who picked up on the longstanding ban.
He added: “This historian is an imbecile. I got banned for one game and played the rest of the season and was never banned.
“I can’t believe that 43 years later Cricket NSW have not changed their records and think that I have escaped a lifetime ban to play a social match at the SCG.
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“This guy, whoever he is, needs to get Netflix or read a Don Bradman biography and stop poring over old records.”
Perhaps they should just scratch his runs from the scorecard and be done with it.
It wouldn’t make a difference to the final score anyway.
Jayden Collins