Durham to investigate head coach over allegations he ‘tied up’ teammate

04/11/2022

Durham have said they will investigate claims made about their head coach James Franklin by India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

In a podcast appearance earlier this year, Chahal alleged that Franklin and former Australia star Andrew Symonds got drunk, tied him up, taped his mouth and left him like that all night. Chahal said the incident occurred when the trio played together at Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians in 2011.

And in a statement, Durham said: "We are aware of recent news reports surrounding an incident in 2011 which name a member of our staff. As with any matters involving employees, the club will speak privately with all parties involved to determine the facts."

Recalling the alleged incident, Chahal said: "It happened in 2011, when Mumbai Indians won the Champions League. We were in Chennai.

"He [Symonds] had had a lot of 'fruit juice'. I don't know what he was thinking, but he and James Franklin got together and tied my hands and legs and said, 'no, you've to open'.

"They were so lost that they taped my mouth and forgot about me completely during the party. Then they all left and, in the morning, someone came to clean [the room] and saw me, and called a few others and untied me.

"They asked me since when I had been there, and I said 'I've been here the whole night'. So that became a funny story."

When asked if either player had apologised to him, Chahal replied: "No, they said when you drink so much juice you don't remember stuff in the morning." Chahal did add that he and Symonds are now close friends.

The spinner's comments resurfaced recently after he shared details of another incident which he alleges to have occurred during his time at Mumbai Indians. In a video on Rajasthan Royals' YouTube channel, Chahal claimed one of his teammates got drunk and hung him off a 15th floor balcony during the 2013 IPL.

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