Shocking footage has emerged of the heavy crash behind Matt Richardson’s sudden withdrawal from his highly anticipated Commonwealth Games clash against his former Australian teammates.

The England team dropped a bombshell on Wednesday announcing their new star man, who won two golds for Australia at Birmingham 2022 before defecting to his birth nation, had just been injured in Japan and withdrawn from Glasgow 2026.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wild footage emerges of ‘disgraceful’ takedown on ex-Aussie defector

There is no word on how badly Richardson is hurt, with Team England only wishing him “a speedy recovery” and hoping to “see him back on the track soon”.

But vision of the crash at the outdoor velodrome in the Keirin World Series in Japan showed why he was in no shape to immediately fly to Europe and race this weekend.

Richardson made a move on the back straight to end up ahead of Japan’s Kento Suzuki, who followed closely around the bend.

Suzuki then sped up and drifted to the outside of Richardson, putting at least a metre between the pair before dropping the shoulder and tipping himself straight into the Englishman.

Richardson’s bike slipped out beneath him and he fell seriously hard, microphones clearly picking up the moment he hit the ground before he rolled underneath his bike and came to a stop.

“Out of the Commonwealth Games in horrible fashion,” Matt White said on Channel 7.

“He is absolutely taken out. In motor racing terms that’s T-boned, he has been taken out by a fellow competitor, which no one wants to see.

“That’s appalling. No matter what storyline you want to follow into this one (Richardson v Australia at the Commonwealth Games) ... and that’s an inch away from serious physical injury.”

Johanna Griggs added: “That in itself is disgraceful. That’s ugly and horrible and unnecessary.”

Richardson could be seen lying on his side surrounded by officials as the race concluded on the next lap. He is said to have left the arena in an ambulance.

Suzuki was scratched from the results and issued a statement on social media afterwards, saying “I’m sorry for being disqualified”.

“There’s no excuses, it’s simply down to my own lack of skill!” he wrote in Japanese.

“From this point onwards, I’ve changed my mindset. If it doesn’t work vertically, I’ll try horizontally — I just couldn’t help but move. I’m sorry!”

Richardson, born over in Kent but raised in Perth, was set for a big showdown with former teammate Leigh Hoffman in arguably the biggest story of the Commonwealth Games.

The Englishman had stirred the pot in interviews over the last few days, saying the Australian track program was like high school and, by comparison, the powerful British system was Hogwarts.

He would have competed in the team sprint when the track program starts on Thursday night (AEST).

But the big showdowns would have come in the match sprint and keirin, where Richardson and Hoffman were the top favourites.

“The Aussies want me to smash him, the Brits want him to smash me and that’s the way it goes,” Hoffman said when the Australian cycling Games team was announced.

Richardson has competed against Australian riders since his shock move but Glasgow 2026 would have been easily the highest-profile event where he was to go up against his former teammates.

He has been replaced in the Commonwealth Games team by 21-year-old Harry Radford.

The men’s team sprint will be one of the first gold medals to be decided in the four-day track cycling program at Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Richardson, Hoffman and Matt Glaetzer, who has retired, won Australia a breakthrough bronze medal in the team sprint at the Paris Olympics.

Richardson then won sprint and keirin silver, behind Dutch great Harrie Lavreysen.

Richardson had said in Paris that his goal was to succeed Lavreysen as the No.1 men’s sprinter by the Los Angeles Olympics.

Days later, he blindsided AusCycling by announcing his career would continue as a British cyclist.

Richardson’s strong form has continued since the controversial move, including two wins over Lavreysen earlier this year at the European championships.

Lavreysen won the Japan race — his ninth in a row — and sent well wishes to Richardson afterwards.

“I’m really happy with the win, and I hope Matthew Richardson is alright,” he said.

— with AAP