Vernon Philander's younger brother shot dead in South Africa, search on for the shooter

Tyrone, the younger brother of South Africa international Vernon Philander has been shot dead near his home in Cape Town. Tyrone reportedly was delivering water to a neighbour on Wednesday afternoon when he was shot.

Following the incident, the police have confirmed that they’re investigating a murder and the shooter is still on the loose. 32-year-old Tyrone’s death was confirmed by his older brother, Vernon, on Twitter.

Vernon released a statement and thanked everyone for their messages of support in such tough time. Along with mentioning that the murder is now the subject of a police investigation, Vernon asked everyone to respect the family’s privacy. He also said that the family won’t be taking any calls from the media at the moment.

Tyrone is forever in our hearts: Vernon Philander

“Our family is coming to terms with the brutal murder in my hometown of Ravensmead earlier today. I would like to ask that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time,” Vernon, who retired from international cricket this year, said in the statement.

“The murder is now the subject of a police investigation and we respectfully ask that the media give the police the space to conduct a thorough investigation. There are no details around the incident at the moment and speculation will make it very difficult for us as a family to mourn in peace. Tyrone is forever in our hearts. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.

Vernon, 35, had announced his retirement from international cricket following last winter’s series against England. The pacer represented the Proteas in 64 Tests, 30 ODIs and 7 T20Is, where he scalped 224, 41 and 4 wickets respectively.

Vernon’s farewell Test, the last of the four-match series against England, wasn’t a memorable one as South Africa suffered a thumping 191-run defeat. Moreover, the pacer was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point. He received the penalty for his celebration after taking the wicket of English wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler on the second day.

In the match, he took two wickets in the first innings and remained wicketless in the second, in which he bowled just 1.3 overs. On the fourth day of the Test, Vernon was also presented with a token for his services to the national side.