Gales was charged by the England & Wales Cricket Board after calling Prince a Kolpak player during an altercation on the field. The UK media says the incident is a “major racial row in England”. The incident occurred on September 3 when Yorkshire were looking to wrap up the county championship at Old Trafford.
According to local rag, The Telegraph, Gale and Prince exchanged insults in the final moments on the third day of the match. Gale moved himself in the field in an attempt to squeeze in one further over. Prince is alleged to have told him to “f*** off back to cover point.” Gale responded by saying “Well you can f*** off back to your own country you Kolpak f*****.”
Gale was subsequently banned from taking part in his side’s trophy presentation.
A statement from the ECB reads: “After an incident in the match between Lancashire and Yorkshire the ECB made a complaint to the cricket discipline commission about the conduct of Andrew Gale. In these circumstances it was not felt appropriate for Mr Gale to be involved in the presentation.”
The case against Gale will stand or fall on whether the Kolpak word is considered racist. Local reports suggest that Kolpak could be racist in this case because Prince is coloured and grew up in SA.
Yorkshire are standing by their captain and will fight the charge.
Prince, 37, retired from domestic cricket in Saffaland earlier this year the English county season was said to be his last.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Prince victim of ‘K’-word
Not even the K-word is what it used to be – well, certainly not in England. Yorkshire cricket captain Andrew Gale became the first county cricketer – ever - to be accused of a racism after he used the K-word on former Proteas cricketer Ashwell Prince.<br />And the word he used? Kolpak! Yes Kolpak... Kolpak players are cricketers born outside England but able to play in the UK as non-overseas players according to European Union law. The word is derived from the Kolpak ruling when a European Court of Justice said on 8 May 2003 that Maroš Kolpak, a Slovak handball player, have the right to play in the EU because citizens of countries which have signed European Union Association Agreements have the same right to freedom of work and movement within the EU as EU citizens.
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