A former Essex County Cricket club batter was called ‘bomber’ by his teammates following the September 11 attacks, it is claimed.

Zohen Sharif received racist abuse after the terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, he says and also claims he was called a 'curry muncher' during his time at the club.

He told the Mirror: “It was a day after the September 11 attacks. People started calling me ‘bomber’. It was normal to be called ‘curry muncher’.”

Sharif, now 38, added: “I didn’t say anything at the time. I was a teenager in a dressing room with big characters.

“To them it was banter. To me it wasn’t, but you don’t want to do anything to block your chance of getting into the first team.”

Sharif, whose parents were born in Pakistan, played for Essex between 2001 and 2004.

In a statement, Essex County Cricket chief executive John Stephenson said: “I am extremely shocked and saddened to hear of historic racial allegations involving a former player, dating back to 2001.

“There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind at Essex County Cricket Club and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism.

“I immediately reached out to the former player to offer him my and Essex County Cricket Club’s full support and to encourage him to come forward and talk to myself and the club about his experiences.

“We will put the right care in place for him and we applaud his bravery and courage for speaking out on such a sensitive issue after all these years.

“There has never been a place, nor will there ever be a place, for any kind of prejudice at Essex County Cricket Club.”

The news comes after chairman John Faragher resigned from his role earlier this week after racist allegations from a board meeting in 2017 came to light, which he strongly denies.