Umer Rashid, the Sussex allrounder, has drowned in Grenada during a pre-season tour of the Caribbean. A statement from the county said that 26-year-old Rashid and his brother, Burhan, had died in an accident at Concorde Falls, a local beauty spot that had been visited by the Sussex team last year.

The statement went on: "He will be sadly missed as a friend and a colleague and his talent, as a cricketer, was recently summed up by Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, as follows: 'Umer is probably the most naturally gifted player on the staff, who is capable of playing explosive innings and bowling matchwinning spells with his left-arm spin'." Rashid made his debut for Middlesex in 1995 but switched to Sussex in 1999 after failing to secure a regular place at Lord's. He had been in Grenada with Sussex as part of their pre-season training, which included matches against Northamptonshire and Yorkshire.

Jason Pooley, who played with Rashid at Middlesex before becoming their second-team coach, said the news had left the squad shocked. "Obviously after what happened with Ben [Hollioake], a lot of the lads feel they have lost two close friends. Owais Shah was close to Umer and knew the family, certainly his brothers, reasonably well. He played at Ealing with him when he was around. I am very shaken up, as we all are. Three-quarters of the staff here played with him, and it's very quiet here at the moment."

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