Hampshire County Cricket Club reversed its decision to retain New Zealand all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijn amid public and internal criticism. The 34-year-old was initially signed and named in the squad for a County Championship match against Warwickshire but was removed from the team shortly before the toss.

Kuggeleijn faced serious allegations related to rape and indecent assault dating back to 2015. He was ultimately acquitted after a retrial. During his legal proceedings, court reports indicated that Kuggeleijn acknowledged the complainant may have said “no, no” several times and admitted in a text message to apologizing for being “pretty persistent.”

The announcement of Kuggeleijn’s selection prompted backlash from fans, club staff, and players, with many becoming aware of the signing only when he was named in the playing XI. In response to the controversy and pressure, Hampshire decided to drop Kuggeleijn ahead of the start of the match.

Hampshire went on to suffer a heavy defeat, losing by an innings and 129 runs to Warwickshire. The loss left them at the bottom of Division One in the County Championship standings. Meanwhile, Somerset secured an innings victory over Glamorgan to maintain their position at the top of the division.