Lions sack Swanepoel

South Africa's Lions have parted ways with all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel after he departed the season-ending 50-overs domestic final before the end of the game, leaving them to ‌field with 10 players in a tight contest against the Titans which they lost. Swanepoel had signed a contract with Worcestershire in the English County season and left the fixture around the 43rd over to head to the airport to ⁠catch a flight to England. As his absence was not an injury, the Lions could not replace him in the field. It was an expensive error in judgement for the 27-year-old, who has since been denied his no-objection certificate (NOC) by Cricket South Africa due to the incident, which means for now he cannot play county cricket either. He will have to wait for the outcome of his CSA's hearings before he knows whether he will obtain the required documentation to turn out for Worcestershire, who expected him to be available for the full season. He was not named in Worcestershire's 13-man squad to play Middlesex on Friday, with the team signing Oliver Hannon-Dalby on a short-term loan from Warwickshire last week to cover for his absence. The Johannesburg-based Lions confirmed on Thursday they have terminated his contract. "It ‌has ⁠been an unfortunate period for all parties involved but we have now brought the matter to a close, allowing everyone to move forward," Lions CEO Jono Leaf-Wright said in a statement.  "At Lions cricket we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards and take matters of this nature very seriously." Swanepoel apologised to the ⁠team but made no comment on his immediate future. "First and foremost, I would like to thank Lions Cricket for the opportunity to represent the ⁠Union, I loved my season representing the Pride and it will always hold a special place in my heart," he ⁠said. "I sincerely apologise to the entire Lions family for what transpired in the final and can assure everyone that many lessons have been learnt."