• An explosive new account from one of the four witnesses inside the vehicle when Robbie Frylinck allegedly racially assaulted Aya Myoli reveals Frylinck also allegedly burnt Myoli with a cigarette lighter.
• According to Sport24’s source, Frylinck allegedly punched Myoli in the face during a verbal argument, which caused his eye to swell up.
• The source’s full account also corroborates Myoli’s version of the events in 2016, which were apparently swept under the rug by the Dolphins.
• Myoli’s story is part of a series of revelations that have come to light since sports stars threw their weight behind Black Lives Matter.
• Ex-CEO Pete de Wet says: “I maintain today, as I did four years ago, that the process was conducted correctly.”

A member of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Coastal side who travelled to Boland in 2016 has come forward with his version of the events surrounding the alleged racial assault by Dolphins all-rounder Robbie Frylinck on former team-mate Aya Myoli.

The source asked that his identity be withheld for fear of recriminations as he is still involved within South African cricket.

He told Sport24 he was in the vehicle when the alleged racial assault took place during their trip back from Paarl, where KZN Coastal lost a 3-Day game to Boland in two days.

The source also alleges that Frylinck burnt Myoli with a car cigarette lighter, which was confirmed by Myoli and a member of the Dolphins coaching staff at the time.

“Robbie had a cool, calm tone to him and he would make Aya get angry. Aya would lose it, but Robbie would be casual by saying things to get to you,” the source said.

“On the vehicle ride to the airport, Robbie was controlled and calm and manipulated the situation. Aya got worked up. I can recall that Robbie burnt Aya with a car cigarette lighter and that he punched Aya in the face and Aya’s eye started swelling up.

“Aya was irate, constantly asking Robbie: ‘What are you doing?’

“When we got to the airport, we got out the combi, then two gentlemen and police officers came to ask what was going on and if everything was OK. We told the police not to worry and that we’ll sort it out among ourselves.”

As previously expressed by Myoli, the fast bowler was unhappy with captain Frylinck’s use of him that day.

It is understood Myoli bowled 11 overs of the 96 bowled by the team and Myoli and fellow opener Calvin Savage were unhappy at having been asked to bowl into the wind.

Sport24 understands the team travelled to Cape Town International Airport after spending some time at the Waterfront, in separate hired vehicles.

The one carrying Frylinck and Myoli was driven by batsman Cameron Delport and Savage and Brendon Scullard were also inside. Roger Telemachus’ assistant, Thokozani Zulu, was also in the vehicle.

Telemachus did not travel back with the team as he wanted to spend the extra day with his family in Cape Town and leave the day after.

The informant also detailed the events at the airport, backing up Myoli’s account that Frylinck had told stewardesses that Myoli was threatening him, causing the former to be denied a place on the flight.

“In a cool and calm tone, again, when we got inside the airport, Robbie was able to tell the stewardesses on the ground that this guy can’t fly,” the source said.

“As he was saying that, he pointed towards Aya who was still losing his mind over what happened and visibly angry. You can just imagine, Aya’s pants were torn from the burn, he’s got this black, swollen eye and he’s angry.

“The whole time we were trying to tell Aya to relax and that we’d sort it out in Durban. Then one of the ladies who was helping us with our extra luggage said one of our players was not going to be able to go onto the flight because they deemed him not fit to fly.

“Then there was a panic. The assistant coach (Zulu) had to stay behind to look for Aya who had left the airport after being told he wasn’t going to fly. We later found out he had gone to stay at a school friend’s place, where Roger Telemachus found him the following day.”

The source said upon arrival in Durban, then-Dolphins CEO Pete de Wet called him into his office to give an account of what happened and took notes.

Thereafter, he was told he would be called into a hearing along with the other witnesses in the vehicle.

“We were then asked, all of us, to come into the CEO’s office and give our statements and to testify,” he said.

“I recall the four of us (witnesses) sitting in the foyer but I can’t recall us going in. I recall Aya going in to talk to the CEO. And when they all came out, we were told we weren’t going to be needed anymore.

“I’m the one who drove him to the police station after that. I wasn’t with him inside, but the idea was that he was going to report the matter.

“The whole time he was upset that this thing wasn’t being treated properly.”

Another informant, who was part of the coaching set-up at the Dolphins, said the players who witnessed the alleged racial assault were shaken up by the incident.

“The guys in that bus were shook,” he said.

“One guy came to me and said, ‘Robbie said racist things’. He said he told Robbie if he kept speaking like that, there was going to be a huge problem.

“And that’s why the team took the stance it took. If it was just a spat between two guys, whether it’s because of bowling opportunity or difference of opinion, you could understand because those things happen in teams. Sometimes there’s a clash of characters and there are some big egos involved but this wasn’t the case – this was based on race because of the comments that were made.

“Lance (Klusener, then Dolphins head coach), to his credit, understood that he needed to drive equality and fairness. The union let us down there. They got rid of Lance not long after that.”

The saga has painted the Dolphins in a poor light, with Myoli accusing them of sweeping the matter under the rug.

But De Wet insists that, procedurally, the Dolphins followed the letter of the law in the disciplinary action.

“During the investigation, and prior to the disciplinary hearing, witnesses (as well as Aya and Rob) were explicitly asked if in their opinions this incident was a racially motivated one. All confirmed that it wasn’t,” he wrote in an emailed response sent to Sport24 by current Dolphins CEO Heinrich Strydom.

“A number of witnesses (including Myoli) were asked to be available to corroborate the findings of the investigation that led to the charges being brought against Frylinck.

“Despite being available to play again, Frylinck only began training with the wider squad a number of weeks later (after a session where he apologised to his team-mates for his actions). As the charges were accepted by Frylinck, there was no need to interview the witnesses, and the hearing moved to sanction.

“The sanction included a monetary fine, community service, suspension and apologising to Myoli for his wrongdoing. I maintain today, as I did four years ago, that the process was conducted correctly, and in accordance with the policies of the KZN Cricket Union.”

Frylinck contacted Sport24‘s reporter via text message, saying: “I am not engaging with you until I have got legal advice.”

He declined to comment further and declined multiple requests for comment on the latest developments.

“Aya’s story needs to come out because there is a truth there about a system that undermines what he was saying and swept it under the rug,” said the former Dolphins coaching staffer.

“It has emboldened the person that actually hurt him to say, ‘It’s all lies’. It’s not all lies; it’s the absolute truth. He has even left out a lot of the truth. There is not one thing there that I read that’s a lie.

“Dan Sincuba, who wasn’t on the bus, said as much as well on Twitter because he was part of that team on that trip.”