Brother of South African cricketer Vernon Philander shot dead

Cape Town, October 8

A brother of South African cricketer Vernon Philander was fatally shot in a street in Cape Town, his family said.

Tyrone Philander, a younger brother of Vernon, was killed metres from the family home in the neighbourhood of Ravensmead on Wednesday. He was shot while delivering water to a neighbour, South African media reported.

Vernon Philander said in a statement issued by the family that they were “coming to terms with the brutal murder”.        “There are no details around the incident at the moment and speculation will make it very difficult for us as a family to mourn in peace,” said Vernon Philander.

Police said the shooting happened around lunchtime on Wednesday and were investigating the case as a murder. No arrests have been made so far.

A member of a community group said Philander’s mother and other family members were in the yard of their house nearby when they heard gunshots.

The 35-year-old Vernon Philander retired from international cricket at the start of this year after a 13-year career with the South African national side, when he became one of the best seam bowlers in the world. He played 64 tests and 101 games across all formats for South Africa.

He was due to join English county side Somerset this year but the deal was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. AP