A PROFESSIONAL cricketer who has played for Slough has been jailed for a total of six and a half years for raping and sexually assaulting a young race-goer.

Perveiz Aziz, 40, from Slough, was operating as an unlicenced taxi driver when he took advantage of the 25-year-old woman at night.

Married father-of-one Aziz, of Carlisle Road, Slough, attacked the victim after she had fallen asleep in the back of his car following a day drinking champagne at Ascot Ladies Day.

The complainant told Guildford Crown Court she woke up to find Aziz raping her.

Aziz who denied rape and sexual assault by penetration was found guilty unanimously on both counts yesterday (Thursday).

He was sent to prison for six years and six months for rape and three years for sexual assault by penetration – both sentences to run concurrently.

Aziz was also placed on the Sex Offenders register.

Jailing him, Judge Robert Fraser said the offence was aggravated by the fact the crimes had been committed on a lone woman after dark.

He said: “It places the case in a very serious category. This was a callous rape. You knew she had been drinking and was tired.”

Judge Fraser said the defendant had been operating as an unlicenced taxi driver and had clearly taken advantage of the circumstances.

In her evidence, the victim said the driver who had picked her up near a taxi rank in Ascot, had raped her and then told her: “I’ll make you a deal. You pay for the petrol and I’ll drive you back home.”

Aziz told detectives and jurors that he had had sex with the woman at her instigation – and then she had threatened to call the police unless he agreed to drive her to her 55 miles to her home, free-of-charge.

But Prosecutor William Saunders described the defendant’s story as a 'pack of lies'.

The court heard that Aziz had carried out the attack after parking in a secluded spot in Charters Road, Sunningdale.

Aziz has played for British cricket clubs such as Slough, Finchampstead, Trowbridge and Portsmouth where he was head coach.