[EXCLUSIVE] Azeem Rafiq Talks Racism, Abuse & Much More in an exclusive Interview

[MenInG]

Join us for a thought-provoking and candid conversation as Azeem Rafiq shares powerful insights on the challenges faced by young cricketers. In this impactful interview with PakPassion, Azeem opens up about the prevailing issues in the cricketing world, shedding light on the mental health struggles and lack of acceptance faced by many.

He emphasizes the urgency to support suffering young talents and challenges the status quo, making it clear that the game needs significant change. Azeem Rafiq's words resonate as a call to action, urging us to prioritize the well-being of young athletes over the game itself. This is more than just cricket; it's a conversation about accountability, mental health, and the future of the sport.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

This man has faced a lot of racism but he still stood his ground firmly and showed great brave character. Now you can see that the whole world is supporting him.

 

[Asad T]

I'd love to hear Shan Masoods response to this

 

[BouncerGuy]

I'd love to hear Shan Masoods response to this​

Saj:

What would be your advice to Shan Masood who was appointed the of Yorkshire with all of this going on in the background?

Azeem Rafiq:

“To be honest, from the minute I’ve spoken out, I’ve never… you know, everyone’s got to make their decisions, and the reality is everyone’s going to be held accountable for their decisions. Unfortunately, I’ve learned over the last few years that people are either fearful or very interested in making decisions that only look after themselves. So look, I’m not going to sit here and ask anyone to do XYZ. Everyone’s got to make their own decisions.”


“And look, the game’s tried to hide it for a year and a half, and it showed again with their actions. The reality is that the game’s not moved forward, and it will keep coming up. And if that’s what someone wants to be associated with, that’s their choice. You know, say with the sponsors, you know, I push them to find their moral compass. They haven’t, none of them have. You know, sending one article out there with ‘monitoring the situation’ was very much playing a political game.”

“So ultimately, history will remember this because I won’t let you forget it. That’s the reality of it because I’m still getting phone calls from parents up and down the country of boys and girls of abuse. Right, and when they raise that abuse, what happens? I’ve had communication from clubs, that are predominantly Asians, of the treatment that they receive from the leagues. And you know, when they report it to the new independent regulator that the ECB has created, or not independent one, nothing happens.”

“So you know, I personally feel a sense of responsibility to these people who ring me. And I don’t ever want them to say that I became the cheerleader for the institution the way I talk about some of the others that have done that."​

 

[Saj]

Saj:

What would be your advice to Shan Masood who was appointed the of Yorkshire with all of this going on in the background?

Tough one isn't it for an overseas player.

I guess Shan has to earn a living and perhaps he has seen progress at Yorkshire.

 

[Mamoon]

This man has faced a lot of racism but he still stood his ground firmly and showed great brave character. Now you can see that the whole world is supporting him.

He deserves no sympathy. He called publicly abused his coach on Twitter back in his U-19 days and was caught making derogatory comments against Jews as well.

If Asian cricketers want a white knight to fight racism in English cricket they should look away from this hypocrite.

Adil Rashid is a perfect example. A true role model for Asian cricketer. He has never demonstrated bad behavior, he has never been part of any controversies and has never played victim card or complained.

He has put his head down, played his cricket and beat his white competitors by outperforming them.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

He deserves no sympathy. He called publicly abused his coach on Twitter back in his U-19 days and was caught making derogatory comments against Jews as well.

If Asian cricketers want a white knight to fight racism in English cricket they should look away from this hypocrite.

Adil Rashid is a perfect example. A true role model for Asian cricketer. He has never demonstrated bad behavior, he has never been part of any controversies and has never played victim card or complained.

He has put his head down, played his cricket and beat his white competitors by outperforming them.

If he did so does it mean they would destroy his career?

incident that occurred when he was playing in the under-19s and later faced racism when he grew up and played in county matches which clearly shows that there wwas some personal rift against him.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Yorkshire: Colin Graves-led takeover approved by county members

Yorkshire's members have approved a controversial takeover of the cash-strapped club by a consortium led by former chairman Colin Graves.

It means the 76-year-old, who was chair of Yorkshire from 2012-2015, is set to return to the role.

Graves' time at Yorkshire was part of the period for which the club was fined for failing to address the systemic use of discriminatory or racist language.

The deal now needs approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

A special resolution at a heated extraordinary Yorkshire general meeting on Friday was passed with 746 votes in favour - 88% of the votes cast.

Three associates of Graves - Phillip Hodson, Sanjay Patel and Sanjeev Gandhi - are also set be appointed to the board as non-executive directors.

Yorkshire: Colin Graves-led takeover approved by county members

Yorkshire's members approve a controversial takeover bid of the cash-strapped club by a consortium led by former chairman Colin Graves.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Yorkshire: Colin Graves-led takeover approved by county members

Yorkshire's members have approved a controversial takeover of the cash-strapped club by a consortium led by former chairman Colin Graves.

It means the 76-year-old, who was chair of Yorkshire from 2012-2015, is set to return to the role.

Graves' time at Yorkshire was part of the period for which the club was fined for failing to address the systemic use of discriminatory or racist language.

The deal now needs approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

A special resolution at a heated extraordinary Yorkshire general meeting on Friday was passed with 746 votes in favour - 88% of the votes cast.

Three associates of Graves - Phillip Hodson, Sanjay Patel and Sanjeev Gandhi - are also set be appointed to the board as non-executive directors.

Yorkshire: Colin Graves-led takeover approved by county members

Yorkshire's members approve a controversial takeover bid of the cash-strapped club by a consortium led by former chairman Colin Graves.

www.bbc.com

It seems like Graves apology was just to get this post back.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

He deserves no sympathy. He called publicly abused his coach on Twitter back in his U-19 days and was caught making derogatory comments against Jews as well.

If Asian cricketers want a white knight to fight racism in English cricket they should look away from this hypocrite.

Adil Rashid is a perfect example. A true role model for Asian cricketer. He has never demonstrated bad behavior, he has never been part of any controversies and has never played victim card or complained.

He has put his head down, played his cricket and beat his white competitors by outperforming them.

Institutional racism does exist in Sport and society. Remember, before having a go at Azeem, he's not the only cricketer of colour who has come out to voice their concerns.

 

[Mamoon]

Institutional racism does exist in Sport and society. Remember, before having a go at Azeem, he's not the only cricketer of colour who has come out to voice their concerns.

There will always be some degree of racism for the minorities in a majority society. We don’t live in a utopian world.

In spite of this, the UK is amongst the most tolerant, accommodating and welcoming societies in the world.

These colored players should worry about the plight of minorities in the countries where they came from.

 

[MenInG]

There will always be some degree of racism for the minorities in a majority society. We don’t live in a utopian world.

In spite of this, the UK is amongst the most tolerant, accommodating and welcoming societies in the world.

These colored players should worry about the plight of minorities in the countries where they came from.

Because they are nationals/residents of this "the UK is amongst the most tolerant, accommodating and welcoming societies in the world", he has every right to protest an injustice.

What happens in the country that he came from is not his business anymore - for that we have the good people of those countries.

Azeem raised an issue which has become a clarion call for many others.

 

[Saj]

Interesting times ahead at Yorkshire:

It is intended that Mr Graves will be elected as the new chair of the Board at its next Board meeting, due to take place tomorrow morning (9 February 2024). Mr Graves will succeed interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who will remain on the Board as a non-executive director, and previous chair, Harry Chathli.

Mr Graves returns to the Board alongside Phillip Hodson, Sanjeev Gandhi and Sanjay Patel. The new appointments join Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Leslie Ferrar, alongside Chief Executive Officer Stephen Vaughan and Darren Gough, the Managing Director of Cricket at Yorkshire CCC.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Yorkshire racism scandal: Colin Graves says calling Azeem Rafiq to apologise did not feel 'appropriate at the time'

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves told a select committee he did not personally apologise to Azeem Rafiq for the racist abuse he suffered because he "had plenty of things going on" and "didn't feel that was appropriate".

Rafiq spoke out in 2020 about the abuse he suffered while playing for the club.

Yorkshire were fined for their handling of the scandal, which partly occurred during Graves' first spell as chairman.

Graves did apologise to Rafiq during the committee session on Tuesday.

Yorkshire racism scandal: Colin Graves says calling Azeem Rafiq to apologise did not feel 'appropriate at the time'

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves says he did not personally apologise to Azeem Rafiq for racist abuse he suffered because he "had plenty of things going on" and "didn't feel that was appropriate".

www.bbc.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1759944947397013798

 

[FearlessRoar]

'Cleared' Scotland cricketer Blain criticises delay in racism report​

Former Scotland cricket international John Blain has criticised delays to the publication of a report that he says clears him of racism.

John Blain says he was told by Cricket Scotland's then-chief executive Pete Fitzboydon in January that the allegations against him were unfounded

It followed claims - some made by all-time leading wicket-taker Majid Haq - of racism and discrimination.

Cricket Scotland had appointed an independent legal team who specialise in discrimination to carry out the review.

Blain, one of Scotland's all-time leading wicket-takers, says he was asked to remain quiet until the complainants had been informed of the outcome.

But he now feels that five months is too long to wait - and has called for an inquiry into the actions of the sport's governing body.

Blain, who was capped 118 times for his country, said he believed that by not publishing the report sooner, Cricket Scotland was "running scared".

"My life has been on hold for too long," he added.

Blain has now made public the letter which he says Cricket Scotland sent him.

In it, former CEO Pete Fitzboydon says: "Further to recent discussion I write to confirm the conclusion of the ongoing investigation into allegations made against you.

"As advised, these allegations have not been founded, and there is not any case to answer, and so this matter is now considered closed."

Cricket Scotland said it had "engaged extensively with all parties throughout a complex, challenging and emotive independent investigative process".

It added: "This has included offering appropriate support to both complainants and respondents.

"We will comment further upon the conclusion of the independent investigative process, whilst continuing to offer support to all those involved."

Majid Haq represented Scotland on more than 200 occasions but did not play again after being sent home from the 2015 World Cup.

At the time he hinted he felt victimised on grounds of race.

His former Scotland teammate Qasim Sheikh also spoke openly about being racially abused.

In July 2022, a report commissioned by funding body SportScotland found that there was evidence of institutional racism in Scottish cricket.

The "Changing the Boundaries" review highlighted 448 examples.

Cricket Scotland's entire board resigned a day ahead of the report's publication.

Following a separate investigation by the English cricket's ruling body the ECB in March 2023, John Blain was one of six players found guilty of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
It followed accusations made by former England international Azeem Rafiq.

Blain, Gary Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah were all found to have used racist slurs.

They were fined sums of between £2,500 sand £6,000.

John Blain said: "The fact that the year-long Scottish investigation has completely exonerated me fatally undermines the ECB process and must force them to reconsider their unjust verdict and clear my name."

An ECB spokesperson said the Cricket Discipline Commission had upheld the charge against John Blain for using racist language at Yorkshire in or around 2010 and 2011 after considering all the evidence before it.

This included John Blain's defence "and a number of supporting witness statements filed by him (through his then legal team) before he withdrew from the process".

The spokesperson added: "What happens in the future is now a matter for the Cricket Regulator. They are aware of Mr Blain’s statement."

Aamer Anwar, the lawyer representing Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, said both former players "remain victims of racism who continue to be abused, vilified and excluded for daring to speak out. Sadly I suspect that will now increase."

He added: "It was galling for my clients to see the huge camaraderie and support Mr.Blain received in comparison to the abject silence from Scottish cricket, when Majid and Qasim placed their heads above the parapet.

"My clients were subjected to all the various versions of racism that can be practiced but are yet to see any real action in response.

"Cricket Scotland hoped this matter would simply go away, it will not, as they will see in the coming days."

'Cleared' Scotland cricketer Blain criticises delay in racism report

John Blain says he was told in January an investigation had found no evidence to support accusations against him.

www.bbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

I've got scars but no regrets from speaking out, says Azeem Rafiq​

Azeem Rafiq has faced threats, abuse and claimed to have been driven out of the country since speaking out against racism in cricket.

But, reflecting on the past few years, he says he doesn't "regret it at all".

"It was a lot for me, for my family, but they've been there with me throughout," he tells BBC Asian Network.

The ex-cricketer has spoken openly, and often emotionally, about his experiences during his time as a player in Yorkshire.

A 2023 hearing found Rafiq's allegations against five former players were proven, and that the group had brought the game into disrepute through their use of racist and/or discriminatory language.

"The more I've spoken about it, the easier it's got for me. But still, there are certain aspects that really take me back to them days," he says.

'Cricket has given me some scars'

Rafiq says there have been negative and positive sides to speaking out.

On one hand he says parents whose children have experienced racism have told him they've felt empowered to speak up.

But, on the other, Rafiq says he still hears about cases where complaints "fall on deaf ears".

"In most cases, people will get tired and leave it," he says.

"I would hope that people will think twice now before using racial language."

Born in Pakistan, Azeem says the country helped spark his love of cricket.

He moved to the UK in 2001, the year of the 9/11 terror attacks, and says that was when he first encountered racism.

"A lot has changed, a lot hasn't," he says.

"We don’t have the same level of vile, violent attacks."

But in Rafiq's view some things feel "arguably worse" for British Muslims today than they did 20 years ago.

"The rhetoric, language, the division, [and] the othering" can be "exactly the same", he says.

"How are we in a situation, in 2024, that we're still fighting just to have simple dignity and respect?"

Rafiq thinks healing divisions will be key to tackling bigger problems, and that includes members of the South Asian community helping each other too.

When he gave evidence to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee hearing, there were instances when he broke down in tears.

But he says there were people from within his own community who claimed he "put on the crying".

"That sort of mindset is, sadly, the very reason the system is able to divide," says Rafiq.

He says looking inwards will mean "an uncomfortable conversation" for the South Asian community but an important one.

"Some people are not going to like it. And that's completely fine," he says.

Rafiq says there's still a long way to go to tackle discrimination, and more work is needed to "understand the problem first".

"There is not one problem everywhere. It shows up differently in different places," he says.

"And when it comes to a solution, you can't have blanket solutions. This is human behaviour."

Rafiq says his own experiences as a result of being confronted with antisemitic comments, that he later apologised for, were illuminating for him.

"Apologising was only the start for me," he says.

"I've had the most amazing support from the Jewish community as I tried to find out and learn more."

Rafiq has said spending time with Jewish people and visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp helped to educate him.

He believes that others could also learn a lot from spending time in different spaces.

"If we spend more time in each of them, understand each other more, then we are going to create a level of respect," he says.

"I said something that hurt a large section of people that actually supported me.

"It was on me to apologise but, also, I don't get to decide whether I'm forgiven or not."

Rafiq says he wants to use his new platform "to try and create opportunities for those that don’t have it".

And that includes cricket.

"Regardless of what's happened in the last few years, the one thing I was pretty determined to make sure is that, my love of this game is not taken away.

"Yes, it has given me some scars that I will probably carry for the rest of my life.

"We're just going to make sure that together, we get the respect that we deserve," he says.

Azeem Rafiq: Cricketer has no regrets speaking out about racism

The ex-cricketer says there have "negatives and positives" to going public with his experiences.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Azeem Rafiq on death threats, justifying his Britishness and determination to remove the stigma around whistleblowing

Azeem Rafiq did not know the meaning of the word 'whistleblowing' until he had done it on the most public of stages when he called English cricket institutionally racist before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee in November 2021.

It was a moment that shook the world of English cricket.

At the time, Rafiq did not know that what he was doing was whistleblowing. All he wanted to do was speak about what he had experienced, and to let go of some of the pain he had felt from the years of racist abuse he had suffered at every stage of his career, in a sport he loved.

And now, after playing no professional cricket for five years, Rafiq is on a new path - a path of anti-racism and anti-discrimination, and he is determined to make a long-term impact for the sake of young South Asian boys and girls in Britain who he hopes will not have to face the racism that he endured during his cricket career.

"I got told whistleblowers never have a successful life after. I’m determined to change that," he told Sky Sports News.

"That hour and 45 minutes changed my life. I guess I was a bit naïve to it all, and a little bit blasé about it; I didn’t really know what I was doing or going into.

"No matter what anyone says, there is a stigma to the word 'whistleblowing'. It’s scary. But I'm going to embrace it."

Almost three years on from speaking before the DCMS select committee, Rafiq says the conversations around racism in Britain "can be Black and white," and that South Asians are "a forgotten race".

The history of British South Asians "doesn’t even get taught", he said, explaining he watched a recent documentary of British South Asian communities fighting violence from the far-right in the 1970s and found it "chilling", namely because he knew nothing about the history.

"Every fight against discrimination is the same fight, and the more united we are, the more likely we are to get our respect," the 33-year-old said.

"The Black Lives Matter movement was huge, and I was in awe of the Black community in the way they came together. I think it's on us to make sure we do the same. Otherwise our kids are going to have these conversations.

"As a parent, it’s that choice - is that career ladder more important? Because that career ladder, if you're looking the other way, could just be green-lighting racist abuse for your children.

"That's the reality. And I know I put that a little bit bluntly, but you know, that is a choice."

‘I didn’t want to carry [the pain] anymore’

Still, Rafiq has not been able to watch back his testimony but hopes that one day he will be able to. He said during the hearing it felt like pain was leaving his body.

"I’d been carrying it for such a long time. I just wanted to get it off my shoulders. I didn’t want to carry it on my own anymore."

Rafiq made his first-team debut for Yorkshire as a teenager. He captained England at U15s and again at U19s, this time for a squad that included Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. In 2012, he became the first player of Asian heritage to captain Yorkshire - as well as the youngest captain in the county’s history.

While Rafiq was one of the few who made it to the very top of the sport, with a career that looked set to be full of promise during his teenage years, he was already facing abuse from an early age.

As a 15-year-old, he was pinned down by a team-mate and forced to drink wine. Rafiq, who is often asked why it took him so long to speak out about the racism he experienced through his cricket career, explains that if he had told his family that he was experiencing this kind of abuse he would have never been able to continue playing the sport.

‘A bit of Karachi and a bit of Barnsley’

When appearing before the DCMS select committee in 2021, Rafiq was asked how he summoned the strength to be there, and replied: "I don’t know. I have a bit of Karachi and bit of Barnsley in me. I know that the pain that I went through for those few months, no one can ever, ever put me through that pain again."

But since speaking out about the racism he suffered, Rafiq has been forced to leave the UK - specifically his hometown of Barnsley, where he moved with his family from Karachi, Pakistan at the age of 10 - due to the death threats and abuse that have ensued.

His sister, who worked at Yorkshire Cricket Club, left her role after being told that the club could "no longer guarantee her safety". Human faeces was also left in his parents’ garden and a man physically stalked his house in Barnsley. So in 2022, Rafiq and his family moved to Dubai.

"It got to a point where I was just waiting for something really bad to happen," he told Sky Sports News.

"It only takes two minutes to go into the replies of anything I tweet and they’re pretty much predominantly from a place that I've called home for 21 years, and that hurts."

But despite all of that, Rafiq is still "incredibly proud" of being from both Karachi and Barnsley, even if he does feel his Britishness is questioned.

"Moving countries at a young age and seeing some of the things I've seen has built a lot of strength within me," he said.

"You’re constantly having to justify your upbringing and the British part of your upbringing. It gets to a point where you're like, 'you know what? Maybe I'm just not welcome.' I find it really difficult to think that I'll ever live back in Yorkshire.

"I will never change standing up against racism. And if people have got a problem with that, then that's on them."

‘I don’t want people to feel sorry for me’

Rafiq says he doesn’t miss cricket, partially because he has "fallen in love with running".

"You have to keep finding a method, a routine to try to decompress," he said, explaining that within this new world of anti-racism he finds himself in, he feels lucky to have found a purpose.

"People go their whole lives without having a purpose. And at the age of 33, this drives me out of bed.

"I get emotional, I'm sensitive, but I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I don't want anyone's sympathy. I just want people to make sure they fight and stop this happening to their own kids."

Since the DCMS hearing, a time when Rafiq says he was physically drained and taking antidepressants, he has had therapy and learnt more and more about his own mental health.

"[Therapy] has been incredible for me. I’m in a better space," he said.

"There’s no sort of, ‘you’ve cracked it’ type thing - whether it’s mental health or fighting against racism. It’s a constant battle and you’re battling in a lot of different directions at the same time.

"But if it makes an impact in one person's life in the positive, then yeah, it’s something I hold a lot of pride in."

SOURCE: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...on-to-remove-the-stigma-around-whistleblowing

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Azeem Rafiq has a big point here

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829071274225578129