DEVON MALCOLM has launched an astonishing attack on Ray Illingworth, accusing the England manager of destroying his confidence during the South Africa tour. The Test paceman claims he was verbally abused and humiliated by the chairman of selectors and says he would have packed his bags and gone home if his team-mates had not dissuaded him.

According to the Dally Express, Malcolm claims Illingworth swore at him and ordered him to leave the nets on Christmas Day, the eve of the fourth Test in Port Elizabeth, because he was distracting fellow fast bowler Darren Gough.

He is quoted as saying: "If Illingworth had come up to me and said You're here, fine, but I won't be needing you for the Test series, I wouldn't have been happy, but at least I'd have said `OK, you've got a different plan'. But all that abusing was unfair and no way to treat anybody. You check all my tour reports and they are Al because I'm a team man. I don't upset anybody."