Rhodes has lost his job after covering up rape allegations.

An Investigation Has Seen Steve Rhodes Leave Worcestershire

Steve Rhodes has officially left his position as Director of Cricket at Worcestershire after an internal investigation into his conduct was concluded. It was announced on the 29th of November this year that the club was handling a disciplinary matter, wherein it was dealing with a report that Rhodes had delayed announcing the arrest of Alex Hepburn, all-rounder, who has subsequently been charged with two counts of rape.

The Events of November 9 2017

As punters who enjoy cricket thanks to the sports betting NZ and the rest of the world make available online are no doubt aware, Worcestershire was thrown into disarray after Hepburn was charged with these crimes, and Rhodes was put on leave because he did not report the arrest timeously.

Appointed to coach the English U19 team at the World Cup in the new year, Rhodes has further been relieved of those duties, replaced by Richard Dawson from Gloucestershire.

The allegations are that when Hepburn got arrested on April 1, he approached Rhodes, requesting assistance. Rhodes agreed to not pass on details of the allegations to the club board, and, while the investigation unfolded, Hepburn then got selected for the first T20 cricket team and signed a one-year extension to his contract with the club.

News that Hepburn had then been charged saw the matter coming to the club and the ECB’s attention. It is understood that they were informed on the 9th and 10th of November, and, at the time, would not comment on these reports.

Not Much Information from the Club

In a further statement released on Thursday that confirmed that Rhodes was departing after 33 years as both a player and member of staff, the club refused to say anything more.

They limited their announcement to wishing Rhodes well in his future endeavours. Attempts to contact Rhodes have not been successful, and anyone with a good perspective of the situation may grasp why.

Rhodes’ Cricket Career in Worcestershire

Rhodes’ departure from New Road sees the end of an association with Worcestershire, which, in various ways, has continued over a remarkable stretch of 33 years.

Rhodes began his career as a player in Yorkshire, and joined the county back in 1985. He then spent a total of 20 seasons as a first-choice wicketkeeper, and made a total of 13 300 runs in 391 first-class matches, all at an average of 33.16. He hit 11 hundreds and made a total of 65 half-centuries, not to mention taking 991 catches and a total of 104 stumpings.

Rhodes appeared in 11 Tests for England between June of 1994 and February 1995, appearing in home series against South Africa and New Zealand and in an Ashes tour of Australia. He also played in a total of nine One Day International games.

Rhodes joined the backroom staff for Worcestershire in 2005 in the position of Tom Moody’s assistant coach, and then took over when Moody left mid-season. He was then upgraded to Director of Cricket in 2006. Under Rhodes’ coaching, Worcestershire triumphed in the domestic 40-over competition of 2007 and also managed to clinch the County Championship promotion for the sixth time this year when they won the Division Two title.

 

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