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Lloyd retires from commentary a month after Rafiq testimony and apology

Lloyd retires from commentary a month after Rafiq testimony and apology

Cricket commentator David Lloyd announced his retirement from Sky Sports on Tuesday, a month after he was named by Azeem Rafiq in his testimony about a culture of widespread racism at his county club Yorkshire.

Lloyd, a former England player and coach, has been behind the microphone with Sky Cricket for 22 years.


He apologised last month when Rafiq said the 74-year-old was a "closet racist" after he made disparaging comments about Asian cricketers in 2020. Sky had said they would be investigating Lloyd's comments.

"With the passing of Bob Willis and after the decision to move on by my good friends David Gower, Ian Botham and more recently Michael Holding, the commentary box feels a little emptier," Lloyd said in a statement.

"And so I feel it is time for me to do the same and move on to the next chapter... I'm done now with Sweet Caroline but in the words of Elton John, I'm still standing!"

Lloyd played nine tests and eight one-day internationals for England between 1973 and 1980, and he coached the team from 1996 to 1999. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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  • UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
  • Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
  • Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.

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Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.

Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.

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