[VIDEO] Azeem Rafiq files a legal claim against Yorkshire County Cricket Club

[SpiritOf1903]

The vibe I'm getting is that he will do whatever he needs to do to preserve his own career, and that would probably be to side with the club which employs him. He's not got much to gain by admitting to Rafeeq's version, would most likely damage his career.

Moin Ashraf was probably more talented than Saqib Mahmood but basically quit the game a few years ago. He's not even 30.

Yorkshire has a massive problem and it is perhaps best resembled in the likes of Boycott. The Yorkshire leagues are full of talented Pakistanis but look at some of the trash representing Yorkshire nowadays; 67 mph pace bowlers lol

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

When someone shouts racism, in an organization in UK or in Pakistan, it is incumbent on that organization to investigate it on the merits of racism and not on the merits of the individual.

For example, if someone is a terrible employee, go ahead and sideline or fire him for his incompetence. But if the reasons for sidelining or firing him are rooted in racism, his incompetence should not come into question.

Only minorities in any society know what they feel or go through - and good societies allow them to be heard. Hope his club does the same.

 

[Rana]

Moin Ashraf was probably more talented than Saqib Mahmood but basically quit the game a few years ago. He's not even 30.

Yorkshire has a massive problem and it is perhaps best resembled in the likes of Boycott. The Yorkshire leagues are full of talented Pakistanis but look at some of the trash representing Yorkshire nowadays; 67 mph pace bowlers lol

Did you watch the Yorks v Lancs game a few days ago? Did you see the left arm chinaman bowling at 45mph? Some young kid called wisnieki or something....are you telling me that they don’t have better emerging spinners than him in the Yorkshire leagues?

 

[Saj]

Moin Ashraf was probably more talented than Saqib Mahmood but basically quit the game a few years ago. He's not even 30.

Yorkshire has a massive problem and it is perhaps best resembled in the likes of Boycott. The Yorkshire leagues are full of talented Pakistanis but look at some of the trash representing Yorkshire nowadays; 67 mph pace bowlers lol

He's playing club cricket and working as a car salesman these days.

 

[Saj]

When I spoke with Rana he said that Asian cricketers in Bradford League etc feel that they don't stand a chance to play for Yorkshire due to their ethnicity.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

He's playing club cricket and working as a car salesman these days.

That's shameful, why did he retire?.

 

[Saj]

That's shameful, why did he retire?.

He was released by Yorkshire and no other County came in for him.

 

[Browncaps]

Whenever I think of the UK, it reminds me of racism.

The white locals there felt I was there to live in their country permanently, the verbal attacks they launched were shocking and effected me permanently. In reality, I pumped money into their economy and got verbal abuse, sleepless nights, psychological torture and bad memories from their country.

I didn't even know how to react as I never knew humans could be so disgusting and small-minded to others. I was well-protected in my childhood from such people. Perhaps, if I was born in the UK and racially abused at school as plenty of minorities over there are, I would know what was happening and why at that time.

All I could hear on TV and in the newspapers there was that how immigration is awful and all immigrants want to stay in England forever and eat up their welfare system. At times it seemed they never had anything else to worry about in life.

I actually visited England from a much better country which hosts around half a million Brits but the locals probably felt I like all immigrants (in their mind) was inferior to them and would want to stay in their ''superior'' nation which ruled the world. They are programmed to think that all other countries and its people are beneath them. Such people destroy lives but sadly, are rarely held to account for it.

I hope Azeem gets justice, but given my own experience,I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

 

[Manunited18]

Whenever I think of the UK, it reminds me of racism.

The white locals there felt I was there to live in their country permanently, the verbal attacks they launched were shocking and effected me permanently. In reality, I pumped money into their economy and got verbal abuse, sleepless nights, psychological torture and bad memories from their country.

I didn't even know how to react as I never knew humans could be so disgusting and small-minded to others. I was well-protected in my childhood from such people. Perhaps, if I was born in the UK and racially abused at school as plenty of minorities over there are, I would know what was happening and why at that time.

All I could hear on TV and in the newspapers there was that how immigration is awful and all immigrants want to stay in England forever and eat up their welfare system. At times it seemed they never had anything else to worry about in life.

I actually visited England from a much better country which hosts around half a million Brits but the locals probably felt I like all immigrants (in their mind) was inferior to them and would want to stay in their ''superior'' nation which ruled the world. They are programmed to think that all other countries and its people are beneath them. Such people destroy lives but sadly, are rarely held to account for it.

I hope Azeem gets justice, but given my own experience,I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

I'm really sorry if you've experienced racism in your time here at the UK. My back ground is being born here with Asian heritage I have experienced forms of raced related descrimination but what I Would say is over all as a majority the British natives are very welcoming and decent people.

 

[James]

Really worrying stories coming out of Yorkshire CCC — clearly there are systemic racism issues at the club which desperately need to be addressed (and it seems now that they might be).

 

[Robert]

Whenever I think of the UK, it reminds me of racism.

The white locals there felt I was there to live in their country permanently, the verbal attacks they launched were shocking and effected me permanently. In reality, I pumped money into their economy and got verbal abuse, sleepless nights, psychological torture and bad memories from their country.

I didn't even know how to react as I never knew humans could be so disgusting and small-minded to others. I was well-protected in my childhood from such people. Perhaps, if I was born in the UK and racially abused at school as plenty of minorities over there are, I would know what was happening and why at that time.

All I could hear on TV and in the newspapers there was that how immigration is awful and all immigrants want to stay in England forever and eat up their welfare system. At times it seemed they never had anything else to worry about in life.

I actually visited England from a much better country which hosts around half a million Brits but the locals probably felt I like all immigrants (in their mind) was inferior to them and would want to stay in their ''superior'' nation which ruled the world. They are programmed to think that all other countries and its people are beneath them. Such people destroy lives but sadly, are rarely held to account for it.

I hope Azeem gets justice, but given my own experience,I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

I am so sorry to read this.

Which is the much better country, out of interest?

 

[moh12]

I think anyone with Pakistani/Indian ethnicity born in the UK will have experience of racism. I had the unique experience of being the only child in primary and secondary with such ethnicity and it was the most difficult time growing up in secondary especially during 00's. Many kids that age lived in bubbles as is well known so might have avoided those issues. I'm not surprised to hear Yorkshire didn't have any Asian players as it was well-known anyway.

 

[Robert]

When I spoke with Rana he said that Asian cricketers in Bradford League etc feel that they don't stand a chance to play for Yorkshire due to their ethnicity.

Appalling.

And such a waste. The Yorkshire leagues would be a deep talent pool for England, instead of just public schoolboys.

 

[Saj]

Appalling.

And such a waste. The Yorkshire leagues would be a deep talent pool for England, instead of just public schoolboys.

I went to watch Pudsey Kongs a few times, the team that Rana played for. They had some excellent Asian cricketers who looked like they were at least worth a trial at Yorkshire. They laughed and shook their head in disbelief when I said why aren't they trying to play for Yorkshire.

One guy said to me he went for a trial at Yorkshire. He was an opening batsman and spinner. He said he batted at 9 and bowled 1 over in a trial match and never heard from them again.

 

[Robert]

I went to watch Pudsey Kongs a few times, the team that Rana played for. They had some excellent Asian cricketers who looked like they were at least worth a trial at Yorkshire. They laughed and shook their head in disbelief when I said why aren't they trying to play for Yorkshire.

One guy said to me he went for a trial at Yorkshire. He was an opening batsman and spinner. He said he batted at 9 and bowled 1 over in a trial match and never heard from them again.

Yourshire’s loss. Maybe another county’s gain. Any chance of trials at Lancs, Derby, Durham?

 

[Saj]

Yourshire’s loss. Maybe another county’s gain. Any chance of trials at Lancs, Derby, Durham?

This was quite a few years ago.

I've not seen the lad in County cricket, so I don't think he made it.

 

[Browncaps]

I think anyone with Pakistani/Indian ethnicity born in the UK will have experience of racism. I had the unique experience of being the only child in primary and secondary with such ethnicity and it was the most difficult time growing up in secondary especially during 00's. Many kids that age lived in bubbles as is well known so might have avoided those issues. I'm not surprised to hear Yorkshire didn't have any Asian players as it was well-known anyway.

I just want to add that there are always plenty of minorities who always rub it in by saying ''I never faced racism in my life despite being born there'' and ''but most of the native locals are great, kind, welcoming and decent'' as if that is a form of consolation to me and others whose lives these people destroyed. If that isn't enough, they add a ''if you faced racism'' as if the victims are sinister individuals who have all the time in the world to without reason accuse humans of a crime.

Good for them if they live in a bubble but to belittle others experiences and the permanent damage it causes says a lot about their empathy for actual victims. Discrimination isn't even relevant,it's their country so I personally am not bothered if they discriminate in jobs and sports teams etc. but the real issue is when people are restricted from sleep in their paid for accommodation and hounded at all hours to the extent that they choose to abandon their entire purpose of visiting the country in the first place for the sake of their safety and mental well being. Yet, as per some, we should know there is an ''if'' attached to the ''victims'' experience. In reality, since they are so proud of their country, the natives might want to racially abuse them as they are the permanent citizens of the country who very often never leave, not me,I am abused as the natives group me with them.

I never intended to stay for the long term or access public funds, I didn't even complete my actual objective whilst there. I hope after Brexit, white Brits can feel inner peace, know that their country is indeed their own and stop always hating immigrants on the Daily Mail and their other beloved platforms.

 

[James]

I just want to add that there are always plenty of minorities who always rub it in by saying ''I never faced racism in my life despite being born there'' and ''but most of the native locals are great, kind, welcoming and decent'' as if that is a form of consolation to me and others whose lives these people destroyed. If that isn't enough, they add a ''if you faced racism'' as if the victims are sinister individuals who have all the time in the world to without reason accuse humans of a crime.

Good for them if they live in a bubble but to belittle others experiences and the permanent damage it causes says a lot about their empathy for actual victims. Discrimination isn't even relevant,it's their country so I personally am not bothered if they discriminate in jobs and sports teams etc. but the real issue is when people are restricted from sleep in their paid for accommodation and hounded at all hours to the extent that they choose to abandon their entire purpose of visiting the country in the first place for the sake of their safety and mental well being. Yet, as per some, we should know there is an ''if'' attached to the ''victims'' experience. In reality, since they are so proud of their country, the natives might want to racially abuse them as they are the permanent citizens of the country who very often never leave, not me,I am abused as the natives group me with them.

I never intended to stay for the long term or access public funds, I didn't even complete my actual objective whilst there. I hope after Brexit, white Brits can feel inner peace, know that their country is indeed their own and stop always hating immigrants on the Daily Mail and their other beloved platforms.

Sounds like you were an international student who due to a poor experience didn’t finish your degree course — sorry to hear about that — which Uni / city was it ?

 

[MenInG]

Guys let's put thread back on track

Question really is whether things are that bad for Asians aspiring to play at the top level in England

 

[silentkiller187]

This is part of sport in the UK i am afraid, especially cricket. it is considered an elitist sport if you haven't got money or the contacts forget about it. Surprisingly it seems like racism is more rife up north were you find a higher congregation of asians , compared to say the south. When you hear of players talking about their times at surrey, sussex for example its only positive things. Same goes for football, i find it hard to believe there cant be one prominent asian player that can comfortably keep up in the premier league.

 

[MenInG]

YORKSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF TWO FURTHER INDEPENDENT MEMBERS TO THE INVESTIGATION PANEL

Rehana Azib, barrister and employment law specialist and Helen Hyde, former Personnel Director at Waitrose, join the investigation panel set up earlier this month to review the findings of the Squire Patton Boggs investigation into the allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

The investigation is now underway and will address directly the specific complaints made by Azeem Rafiq. In addition, and at the request of the Board, the investigation will also conduct a review of the club’s internal policies and culture with regards to discriminatory conduct.

The investigation panel chaired by Dr. Samir Pathak, surgeon, former England Universities wicketkeeper/batsmen and trustee of the MCC Foundation, will oversee and assist the investigation team and provide recommendations on further steps the club should take.

The Board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club has committed to sharing the findings of the investigation and the recommendations of the panel. The investigation has now begun and the Board have been clear that these matters are to be investigated thoroughly and with urgency. It is expected that the investigation will be completed within three months.

Stephen Willis, Chief Financial Officer of Durham University and the senior independent director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club remains on the panel. Hanif Malik, non-executive director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club has stepped down.

Commenting on the new appointments Dr. Samir Pathak said: “Rehana and Helen both have a broad background of considerable expertise and experience on which the panel can draw on during the course of the investigation.

“We remain committed to conducting a fair and impartial process and both Rehana and Helen’s extensive knowledge of the legal implications of these types of grievance procedures will be of great benefit to our review of the findings of the investigation.

“All organisations need to be diverse and inclusive, there is no space for inequality in sport or society and it is the responsibility of this committee to ensure that the investigation is conducted fairly and impartially.”

Rehana Azib said: “This is an important and significant time for both Mr Rafiq and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

“It is essential that the allegations are investigated fully, objectively and rigorously. I look forward to working with the other members of the panel to ensure that the investigation is conducted comprehensively and fairly, and that any recommendations that may arise out of it are transparent, effective and properly implemented.

Helen Hyde commented: “As a cricket fan of longstanding, the sport is close to my heart but so is the notion that it must be a sport of inclusion and fairness. I look forward to working with the other panel members to ensure that the findings of the investigation are dealt with quickly and decisively.”

 

[MenInG]

Former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq is to appear in a documentary series commissioned by Cricket Australia about experiences of suffering racial abuse.

Last month, Rafiq, 29, claimed that "institutional racism" at Yorkshire left him close to taking his own life.

The county have opened an independent investigation into the allegations but the two parties are yet to meet for face-to-face discussions.

Rafiq said the approach to take part in the series is "encouraging".

He told BBC Sport: "It will be quite powerful. They could have had anyone on to talk about it but the fact they have invited someone who might be seen as controversial and anything could be said shows how seriously they are taking it."

Rafiq was spoken to by former Australia women's international Mel Jones, who is now a director on the Cricket Australia board.

Former Australia fast bowler and ex-Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie is another who will be appearing in the six-part series, as reported in the Times.

Rafiq added: "I will be talking about institutional racism, what we can do to make a change and how we need to keep the conversation going on it and keep the pressure on for change.

"Mel had seen how big the story was in the UK and said people in Australia need to hear it as well to bring more awareness to the issues."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/54594498

 

[MenInG]

Gulfraz Riaz, the Chairman of the National Asian Cricket Council has voluntarily stepped down from the independent panel convened to investigate allegations made by former player, Azeem Rafiq. Mr Riaz will now assist the investigation as a witness. He remains committed to ensuring the process is open and transparent and is clear that this is the best way for him to serve the investigation at this moment.

The National Asian Cricket Council (NACC) acts as a key advisory body to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and exists to support and promote the interests of the South Asian Cricketing Community at National and Regional levels, whilst developing positive relationships between key cricketing stakeholders and their immediate cricketing community. They will have a crucial role to play in improving the wider relationship between YCCC and their South Asian Cricketing Community once the investigation has concluded.

Mesba Ahmed, vice-Chairman of the National Asian Cricket Council; and CEO and founder of the London Tigers, an award winning charity focussed on community development through sport, has now joined the investigation panel.

A former member of the Football Association’s Race Equality Advisory Board, Mesba has considerable experience of addressing racism and improving diversity in sport. He founded the London Tigers as “just a football team” in 1986 with the aim of working with young people from diverse backgrounds who otherwise felt excluded from sporting opportunities. The charity now delivers projects across London and the UK, with over 3,000 regular members and over 70 staff members and volunteers and has worked closely with Sport England, professional football clubs, local councils and the F.A’s “Kick it Out” campaign.

Mr Ahmed joins a five person strong panel which includes barrister and employment law specialist Rehana Azib, former Waitrose Personnel Director Helen Hyde, YCCC Senior Independent Director and CFO of Durham University Stephen Willis and panel Chairman, surgeon and MCC Committee member Dr. Samir Pathak.

Commenting on his appointment to the panel, Mesba Ahmed said: “Sport has a crucial role to play in addressing issues of race, diversity and equality in our society. Investigations of this nature are never easy, but they are important if we are to successfully address inequality and provide sporting opportunities across BAME communities. Along with my fellow panel members, I am determined that we deliver a thorough and impartial finding and clear set of recommendations.”

Dr Samir Pathak, Chairman of the investigation panel said: “I would like to thank Gulfraz for his assistance.

“The investigation team have been in regular contact with Mr Rafiq’s legal counsel and understand that he will be in a position to provide a statement to the investigation by the 6 November.

“The process of contacting potential witnesses and agreeing a timetable of interviews is in progress. Both the investigation team and the panel are aware that this is a difficult time for all parties and are determined that the investigation will be concluded before the end of the year.”

 

[Saj]

If Yorkshire are the racist County that Azeem is claiming, then why is his sister still working for them.

 

[Bewal Express]

If Yorkshire are the racist County that Azeem is claiming, then why is his sister still working for them.

The more Rafiq talks the more I smell a rat. The guy was expecting to become a star but he lost his action and with it, he lost his contracts. He seems desperate to blame someone and when he realised his career had no more milage, he blamed YK. I hope I am wrong because playing the race card has implications for genuine victims. And if I am wrong, I also apologise to him.

 

[Fitness_era]

I am from Yorkshire let me put it this way. If people are saying what Rafiq is saying is not true. Look at this way. Now football is a big game in England lots of clubs. We have lots of talented asain footballers but i havent seen 1 asian footballers been picked for small clubs and not a single one in big clubs.

My cousin was a left arm fast baller really good. He played for Pudsey Kongs second team they made him ball 3 overs and bat 10. He came from all the way under 13 for Yorkshire than u15 he played with Matthew fisher who was u19 england player..

Now he was faster than him at 15. After u15 he got a chance for Pudsey Kongs but never a proper one. Now he is 22 but left cricket he can still ball fast but if there is no support u dont get picked he left. There was non Asian given more chances and he would .ake 2nd team thats it. He stared playing bradford league but that was it he new he cant go any further.

I use to go with him at u13 and u15 the environment is totally diffrent the parents are so aggressive the mode is off you can tell when you go to a match and someone dosnt want to talk to you and you are in the same team.

No dont get me wrong at the lower level there is a lot of support after you get to u19 level all that goes out. I took him to Somerset where Marcus Trescothick started from stayed a week played 3 to 4 matches but as you grown older that fades away and you have to have parchi as we would call it.

He played with Imran Khan snr at undercliffe and he said this guy is really good. But what can you do it is what it is now people belive it or not. Glad someone has really spoken.

 

[Marshland]

I heard about this story a few weeks ago.

Hardly surprising it has to be Yorkshire CCC in the middle of such a storm. They've had this coming for a long time.

 

[Bewal Express]

I am from Yorkshire let me put it this way. If people are saying what Rafiq is saying is not true. Look at this way. Now football is a big game in England lots of clubs. We have lots of talented asain footballers but i havent seen 1 asian footballers been picked for small clubs and not a single one in big clubs.

My cousin was a left arm fast baller really good. He played for Pudsey Kongs second team they made him ball 3 overs and bat 10. He came from all the way under 13 for Yorkshire than u15 he played with Matthew fisher who was u19 england player..

Now he was faster than him at 15. After u15 he got a chance for Pudsey Kongs but never a proper one. Now he is 22 but left cricket he can still ball fast but if there is no support u dont get picked he left. There was non Asian given more chances and he would .ake 2nd team thats it. He stared playing bradford league but that was it he new he cant go any further.

I use to go with him at u13 and u15 the environment is totally diffrent the parents are so aggressive the mode is off you can tell when you go to a match and someone dosnt want to talk to you and you are in the same team.

No dont get me wrong at the lower level there is a lot of support after you get to u19 level all that goes out. I took him to Somerset where Marcus Trescothick started from stayed a week played 3 to 4 matches but as you grown older that fades away and you have to have parchi as we would call it.

He played with Imran Khan snr at undercliffe and he said this guy is really good. But what can you do it is what it is now people belive it or not. Glad someone has really spoken.

Your cousin could have asked for trials anywhere like most players do. My son was also very good but various reasons he didn't get chosen and we easily got trials at other places. One of the counties even asked him to join the junior teams but it was too far. In the end he wasn't good enough. At the age 22, he should be at his peak, stop moping and get him trials and show up YK

 

[Fitness_era]

Now i would love him to go for trailers but now he makes his own choices and you know i cant make him do what he doesn't want to. He does play cricket in season but i feel if he prepared off season he would have been really good something i would love to see but it is his choice.

 

[Bewal Express]

Now i would love him to go for trailers but now he makes his own choices and you know i cant make him do what he doesn't want to. He does play cricket in season but i feel if he prepared off season he would have been really good something i would love to see but it is his choice.

Then you and he can't moan. If he is too lazy or lacks motivation then how did he expect to make at YK? No doubt there is discrimination and favouritism but too many desis just want excuses. Ultimately, he will make it somewhere, if he is good enough.

 

[MenInG]

Azeem Rafiq said he hoped to bring about "meaningful change" after giving his first statement to the inquiry into alleged "institutional racism" at Yorkshire.

In September, former spinner Rafiq, 29, said he felt he was made to feel like an "outsider" as a Muslim at the club.

Yorkshire launched a "formal investigation" into the claims, which were detailed at an inquiry on Friday.

Rafiq said the experiences at his former club left him close to taking his own life.

In a statement, Yorkshire told BBC Sport: "Racism has no place in our society or in cricket and we are hopeful that the outcome of this investigation and the recommendations of the panel will drive positive progress which can be shared by all."

Rafiq issued a press release to coincide with the inquiry, detailing the key points of his statement.

In it he said: "I have spoken out about the racism I faced because I don't want kids to go through what I did.

"I want to see kids starting off their journey in cricket in a culture of acceptance and respect, where they are judged on their talent and not on their culture and identity. I hope that the investigation will result in meaningful change at the club and in the sport.

"I am grateful for the outpouring of support and words of encouragement I have received, in particular from parents who have shared their concerns about how their kids have been treated and who want to see change."

Rafiq made a number of allegations about the club, including:

Different treatment of himself and his Asian team-mates compared to other team-mates. He said this was especially the case in disciplinary matters, coaching and development support, and in pastoral care offered by Yorkshire after Rafiq's son was still-born.

Development pathways and support for young Asian players coming through the club. Rafiq said there was an email that reflected "broader conversations and culture at the club" which contained the p-word. He said this email contained the sentence "only a few **** are OK to go through. We cannot have too many of them".

Racist comments from team-mates as "banter". Rafiq said team-mates used racist language about his Pakistani heritage and also referred to people with beards by asking, "is that your uncle?", comments which left him feeling "worthless and totally isolated".

The drinking culture at the club and insensitivity towards Muslim players. As a Muslim, Rafiq said he was "ridiculed" for not drinking alcohol, which is forbidden in Islam, and there was peer pressure to participate. He also said there was a lack of Halal food for Muslim players.

Racist comments from Yorkshire supporters and abuse of Asian supporters. He said incidents included beer being thrown on Asian fans, and that incidents were not investigated or properly addressed by the club.

Yorkshire added: "We have taken the claims made by our former player, Azeem Rafiq, very seriously and a full investigation conducted by Squire Patton Boggs, an independent law firm, began in September.

"Mr Rafiq's written statement was made available last week and he will give further verbal evidence today. These statements will then be made available to the club to provide a response to as part of the next phase of the process.

"We realise that that this is a difficult time for all parties involved but it is important that these matters are investigated thoroughly and swiftly.

"In addition, and recognising that this process is as much about the future as it is the past, we have convened an independent panel to support the investigation and to publish recommendations on steps the club may need to take as a result of the investigation's findings."

Since the announcement of the investigation, the chairman of the Yorkshire South Premier League Roger Pugh has resigned from his post after calling Rafiq "discourteous and disrespectful" in a blog post.

Two members of the investigative sub-committee were also replaced because of a conflict of interest, with head of diversity at Yorkshire, Hanif Malik, being removed and Gulfraz Riaz of the National Asian Cricket Council resigning.

Rafiq told BBC Sport in September about "dreading every second" of playing for Yorkshire in what should have been "the best time of my life".

Rafiq played 169 games for Yorkshire across all formats, taking 217 wickets and scoring over 1,000 runs, including a first class century, before being released by the county in 2018.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/54924669

 

[The Viper]

Cricket enjoys support from diverse audiences across the world, however, it is clear we must do much more to improve inclusion across all forms and levels of the game if we are to truly reflect the communities who contribute so much to the sport.

The Yorkshire County Cricket Club wholeheartedly support the ECB’s aims to further their work on an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan for 2021-24 and want to be part of ensuring meaningful change across the game. We recognise that County clubs are crucial to the success of the plan and will look to apply its actions, initiatives and targets across our own organisation. We already support the ECB in a number of their projects but there is much more we can and must do to properly address issues of diversity and equality in our sport. As part of our commitment to this Action Plan, our board will look to appoint a Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the New Year with responsibility for delivering meaningful, measurable initiatives across Yorkshire Cricket.

As well as the ECB actions, we will also seek to implement the recommendations due to be made by the investigation panel considering the allegations made by our former player, Azeem Rafiq. This is an important investigation and we have committed to a full and thorough process to provide an in-depth set of recommendations which we now hope to publish in early 2021.

 

[MenInG]

Press Release:

 

[MenInG]

Tuesday, 15 December: Azeem Rafiq has filed a legal claim against Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) under the Equality Act.

The former under-15 and under-19 England cricket captain is claiming direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, as well as victimisation and detriment as a result of his efforts to address racism at the club.

The claim sets out:

· Expressly racist “dressing room banter”, including the following language addressed at non-white players:

o “****”
o “elephant washers”
o “go back where you came from”
o characterising players of Pakistani origin as “other”, “different”, and “difficult”

· YCCC’s failure to respect the ethnic beliefs of Pakistani players and players of Pakistani descent, including the non-provision of Halal food facilities and attempts to enforce the drinking culture of the club on them

· Players and officials laughing in response to alcohol being thrown on a Muslim child at a match

· On-field racist abuse of a black South African player - “**** off back to your own country, you Kolpak ****er” – by a Yorkshire team-mate

· Team-mates nicknaming Mr Rafiq “Raffa the Kaffir”

· How Mr Rafiq was denied professional opportunities offered to white British players, including being refused the opportunity to play 20:20 cricket in the winter

· The lack of pastoral care support provided Mr Rafiq when his son was still born, as well as differential treatment in coaching & development support and disciplinary matters

· How the club repeatedly ignored his concerns about racism and victimisation as a result of the complaints he raised (in April 2018, August 2018, and at the time of his release in September 2018)

· The severe mental health issues that Rafiq faced as a result of his treatment by the club, including depression and contemplating suicide

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Mr Rafiq spoke out in August this year about his experience of racism at the club. His allegations have since been substantiated by former YCCC employees, including test players Tino Best and Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan.

After Mr Rafiq went public, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a number of pledges to make the sport more inclusive, including the establishment of a new Independent Commission for Equality in Cricket. After years of inaction, the YCCC is now investigating the allegations and is expected to report early next year – this legal claim is a separate process.

Mr Rafiq’s legal claim seeks a declaration that the club acted unlawfully, as well as financial damages for the harm and detriment he suffered. The claim also makes recommendations to ensure that changes are brought about at the club to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

In particular, Mr Rafiq believes that more must be done to ensure that combating racism in cricket must start with the youngest age groups and continue throughout the junior and senior set-ups.

Mr Rafiq said:

“Those who have, like me, been on the receiving end of racism and discrimination will understand how hard it is to open up about the pain and suffering it causes. I feel a sense of relief to finally speak about it and that my healing process can now begin.

“I hope this claim will give me the closure I need and that the recommendations from the Tribunal will help bring about change for our future generations in cricket.”

Parts of Mr Rafiq’s claim are outside the primary time limit. He will, however, argue that it is just and equitable for time to be extended given the public interest involved in his claims and that the Tribunal should hear the totality of his treatment before deciding this issue.

Mr Rafiq states that he was unable to bring his claim before now because of:

The time it took to recover from the severe mental health issues he suffered as a result of the discrimination he faced at the club. This includes the time to recover from the bereavement he suffered at the time of his release;

The financial difficulty he suffered after being released by the club, so was unable until very recently to engage legal professionals to advise him;

The concern he had about retaliation and/or career damage he would face as a result of bringing his claim. It was only after the Black Lives Matter and MeToo movements that he felt he had to speak out in order for his concerns about institutional racism to be properly addressed.

Dan Jarvis, who is Mr Rafiq’s MP (Barnsley Central), said:

“It is simply appalling that professional cricketers have suffered disgraceful racist abuse and discrimination in the workplace. Azeem Rafiq has been brave in speaking out and he has my support.

“I’m sure that Yorkshire County Cricket Club will want to engage constructively with Azeem and his legal team to resolve this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

“I hope that all clubs – from county cricket to the grassroots – will now play their full part in supporting the ECB reforms to eradicate the scourge of racism from cricket.”

Mr Rafiq’s lawyer, Asma Iqbal said

“Azeem is a victim of institutional racism who has taken a brave step to whistle blow on an institution which now accepts it needs to embrace change; if only they had recognised this in 2018 when Azeem was crying out for help and support.

“Crucially, the YCCC can do the right thing and accept this claim, which will allow the action to go ahead. If YCCC is serious about tackling racism, it will do just that.”

 

[Saj]

No surprise that he's taken legal action against them.

This could be the wake-up call needed for many sporting teams in the UK.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Then you and he can't moan. If he is too lazy or lacks motivation then how did he expect to make at YK? No doubt there is discrimination and favouritism but too many desis just want excuses. Ultimately, he will make it somewhere, if he is good enough.

Well you can't accuse Rafeeq of being lazy or lacking motivation, he's taking legal action. If you know anything about taking on the establishment, you'll know that takes some courage.

 

[The Viper]

Cheteshwar Pujara: Never Felt I Was Racially Abused While Playing For Yorkshire

The ugly head of racism reared its head during India’s Australia tour earlier this month when Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj complained of hearing racist slurs during the Sydney Test. That incident drew widespread criticism resulting in Cricket Australia issuing an apology and launching an investigation.

However, long before that, Australia legend Shane Warne came under fire for his remark referring Pujara as ‘Steve’ – a nickname that the India batsman was given during his time in county cricket. The point of discussion was that the name Cheteshwar isn’t easy to pronounce and so his teammate in at Yorkshire called him Steve.

The remarks were made on air in jest but the issue is subject to an investigation in English cricket following allegations of institutional racism from two former two Yorkshire employees Taj Butt and Tony Bowry.

“They called every person of colour ‘Steve’. Even Cheteshwar Pujara, who joined as an overseas professional, was called Steve because they could not pronounce his name,”

Pujara has addressed the issue saying he never felt being at the receiving end of racism and in fact had a wonderful time playing for Yorkshire. “I never felt I was racially abused,” Pujara told NDTV. “I had a wonderful time playing for Yorkshire. I am not sure if that name ‘Steve’ was used for me in that manner. A friend over there had a hard time pronouncing my name.”

Pujara, who was one of the architects of India’s second consecutive Test series win on Australian soil, is now gearing up for the England Test series starting February 5 with an aim to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship final.

“Looking forward to the England series. Most important aspect is to qualify for the World Test Championship final. The guys are aiming for that. They play good cricket in India. They have done well in Sri Lanka as well. We can’t take them lightly,” Pujara said.

Pujara felt while Australia are a competitive side, they didn’t bat well during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “Great country to play cricket. Australia are a very competitive team. Our guys showed a lot of character and grit. It was very difficult to accept our low score in Adelaide. We took the rest of the series as a three-match series,” Pujara said.

“The turnaround happened in Melbourne. Once we won in Melbourne and the series was 1-1, we knew we had a chance of winning the series. Australia a good side but did not bat well. From second Test onwards, we achieved the goals that we set as a batting unit,” he added.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...lly-abused-while-playing-for-yorkshire-968579

 

[MenInG]

Within England’s proudest region, claimed boastfully by its locals as ‘God’s Own Country’, sits the jewel in the nation’s ancient cricketing crown.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been a factory for English cricket greatness for more than 150 years. It has won more titles — 33 to be exact — and produced more players for the nation than anywhere else.

Names such as Geoffrey Boycott and Ray Illingworth or, more recently, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, have graced the changerooms at the iconic Headingley Cricket Ground.

Other big names have lined up from overseas: Jason Gillespie, Younis Khan, Kane Williamson — even once in 1992, as the club’s first ever overseas signing, Sachin Tendulkar.

Hated by some corners, loved within its own, but universally revered, Yorkshire is sewed deep within the fabric of English cricket.

Its rich history breeds from its members an enthusiasm that borders, if not entirely encroaches upon, elitism.

Former England captain and club president Boycott once said: “This club is steeped in history and tradition and to be part of what is a cricketing institution is fantastic.

“Our traditions are second to none and our achievements are unsurpassed.

“We are nothing without our history and hopefully over the next 150 years we can continue to progress in the same vein.”

The unprecedented success, unique traditions and immense pride are, of course, all nice things to have.

But they count for nothing now with an ugly racism scandal tearing at the fabric of the club.

The man at the centre is former England rising star, Azeem Rafiq.

For him, being a part of the club’s culture cost him his confidence, his happiness, his sense of security.

He claims Yorkshire is an institutionally racist organisation — and it almost cost him everything.

“There were a couple of times where I came close to ending my life,” Rafiq told foxsports.com.au last week. “That’s really as low as it did get.

“I didn’t know where I could report it. I didn’t really know what I could do to change it because I knew in the back of my mind that if I did speak up it would make life even harder for me.

“I tried to sort of just let it go, let it go, let it go, but I think slowly, slowly it started to take a big toll on me.

“I’m really thankful to be here to be honest because I really don’t think it was far from me going.”

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WHO IS AZEEM RAFIQ?

Rafiq was released by Yorkshire in 2018, months after his son was stillborn, and weeks after raising his racism allegations with the club.

His claims are among the most high-profile in English sport and are now part of a discrimination and harassment claim lodged by the 30-year-old.

Born in Karachi, Rafiq moved to the UK when he was 10 before emerging as one of England cricket’s biggest rising stars.

He was soon representing his nation – first at Under-15 level as captain, then again for England’s Under-17s and Under-19s, also leading the latter.

The spinner began to garner more attention: He was in 2006 named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year for Yorkshire, while in 2007 he was said to have been causing issues for the likes of Michael Vaughan in the Headingley nets.

“If nothing else, the rise of Barnsley off-spinner Azeem Rafiq is another encouraging marker for the future of spin bowling in England,” Oliver Brett wrote for the BBC at the time. “And what is likely to get many people excited is that Rafiq bowls a mean ‘doosra’.”

Rafiq continued to rise through the ranks at the county, where he made his senior T20 debut in 2008, and first-class debut in 2009.

In just his second first-class match, Rafiq truly made his mark by plundering a 92-ball century – although that remains his only triple-figure score in any format.

In 2012, his leadership credentials were recognised on a senior level as he captained Yorkshire’s T20 side, becoming the first cricketer of Asian origin to lead the county.

But as bright as Rafiq’s future was, it was undermined by a darkness hiding in plain sight.

Over the course of his career in Yorkshire, he would lose his faith in humanity and later claim to investigators that he was bullied because of his race.

He also said the club has a drinking culture that he felt pressured to be a part of, despite being a Muslim, and that there was a failure to properly investigate racist comments from supporters, and incidents of alcohol being thrown on Asian fans.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Rafiq came forward with his experiences last year.

Asked by foxsports.com.au if he believes the cricket club is institutionally racist, he said: “Without a shadow of a doubt.

“It’s quite simple for me. That’s exactly how I see it.”

Days after Rafiq came forward, Pakistan’s Rana Naved-ul-Hasan said he had a similar experience playing for Yorkshire in 2008 and 2009. He claimed to in an interview that he was the victim of “systemic taunting” from home supporters who would “hoot” and use racist slurs.

Today, Adil Rashid is the only British Asian cricketer left at Yorkshire.

Since Rafiq’s claims, it’s become clear that Yorkshire is just a narrow snapshot of a wide-ranging problem in English cricket.

A survey last month found that more than one-third of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) professional players have experienced racism while playing cricket in England.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) sent the survey to 600 current and former professionals and received just 173 responses. But from the responses, the PCA deduced that 38 per cent of BAME cricketers have experienced racist abuse while playing the game in England.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced increased measures to tackle discrimination, including the formation of an equality commission and a new equality code of conduct for its organisations to follow.

For its own part, Yorkshire commissioned an independent probe into Rafiq’s allegations, but findings are yet to be delivered despite being slated for the end of 2020.

The probe was initially delayed when Rafiq’s lawyers objected to the independence of some panel members.

Ongoing delays, however, last month prompted Rafiq’s lawyer to claim Yorkshire “risks legitimising racism” if the investigation continues to drag out, and demand it to be concluded by the start of April.

Yorkshire is yet to accept Rafiq’s claims, but has strongly condemned racism and vowed to hand life bans to anyone who makes threats to him, his family, or legal team.

It says it is not willing to place a deadline on the investigation as it may place pressure on its witnesses.

“We have taken the claims made by our former player, Azeem Rafiq very seriously and have undertaken a full investigation into the specific matters raised,” the club told foxsports.com.au in a statement.

“In addition, and recognising that this process is as much about the future as it is the past, we have convened an independent panel to support the investigation and to publish recommendations on steps the club may need to take as a result of the investigation’s findings.

“We have always acknowledged that this has often been a difficult process for those involved and the investigation team were clear that witnesses be given the time and space to speak about their experiences fully and that they should not feel the pressure of a constrained time limit.

“Racism has no place in our society or in cricket and we are hopeful that the outcome of this investigation and the recommendations of the panel will drive positive progress which can be shared by all.”

Rafiq says he doesn’t have trust in the investigation regardless of the timing of its findings, but would like to see it concluded sooner rather than later.

“From my point of view, I’d just like a conclusion to it, or it not continue being dragged on because it’s having a big impact on my life,” he said.

“I don’t have massive trust in the investigation anyway, but I’ve tried to comply, tried to co-operate the whole way through and I’ll continue to do that.”

The day after Rafiq’s allegations were made public in September, chairman of ECB Yorkshire South Premier League Roger Pugh called the cricketer “discourteous and disrespectful”, and that he had found him “very difficult to deal with”.

“Of course, I am not in a position to comment on these allegations, but that they should come from him (Rafiq) does not surprise me,” Pugh wrote in his blog.

“I have had contact with Azeem both as an umpire and an administrator, and found him very difficult to deal with - being both discourteous and disrespectful. Indeed, over the five years in which we have been in existence, he is the only person in our league that I have had any issues with.”

Pugh claimed “several umpires” also had problems with Rafiq’s behaviour, before quoting the bible, saying: ‘As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

That led to a stinging rebuke from former Yorkshire head coach, Gillespie, who said Rafiq was “difficult” but Pugh’s blog post – which has since been deleted – was “almost excusing” racism.

“I didn’t like that letter, seeing that letter. I think that was a personal attack,” Gillespie told a website. “It was like it was almost excusing the issue at hand because Azeem was a difficult character.”

While Rafiq’s claims are under an ongoing investigation, a number of Asian players have long felt alienated in Yorkshire.

Prior to 1992, the club, by policy, only picked players from within its county, which has large Asian communities in West and South Yorkshire dating back to the 1960s.

Even so, it wasn’t until Tendulkar’s signing in 1992 that a cricketer of Asian origin played for the White Rose County.

Pakistan-born cricket writer, Kamran Abbasi, wrote that Yorkshire’s Asian communities have “always nurtured a deep resentment” toward the county’s selection policy.

“This anger was fuelled by claims from cricketing icons, like Imran Khan and Viv Richards, that they had experienced racism at Headingley,” Abbasi wrote in Englistan: An immigrant’s journey on the turbulent winds of Pakistan cricket.

“Indeed, most Asians of a certain age will readily attest to the atmosphere at Headingley being thick with racist tension.”

Abbasi added that by the early 1990s, rival counties Warwickshire and Worcestershire had nine Asian-origin players between them, while none were coming through Yorkshire’s ranks.

A key reason was that racist attitudes persisted in the county’s entire system, then chairman of Yorkshire’s Black and Asian forum, Mike Atkins, said.

Despite Yorkshire’s attempts to create change, Abbasi wrote its reforms “appeared cosmetic” because its team remained made-up entirely of white players.

Tendulkar’s signing did little to bring Asian-origin players through.

Quite simply, he wasn’t a product of Yorkshire’s system – nor was he going to stay for long.

It wasn’t until the new millennium that Yorkshiremen of Asian origin started to represent their county.

Ismail Dawood, Ajmal Shahzad, Rashid and, of course, Rafiq, are among those who eventually came through.

Other Asian players came from overseas, such as India No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara.

During Pujara’s time in Yorkshire, his teammates, finding ‘Cheteshwar’ too difficult to pronounce, reportedly decided to call him ‘Steve’.

There was allegedly blanket use of the nickname at the club for people of Asian origin, including former employee Taj Butt, who quit six weeks into working at Yorkshire and has given evidence in the investigation.

Rafiq endured eight seasons at Yorkshire – from 2008 to 2014 and 2016 to 2018 – but says he only enjoyed playing cricket there for two months.

“On a daily basis, I found it draining. I found it very isolating,” he said. “Over time, it started to have this effect where it would take its toll on me.

“Looking back on it, as I’ve said before, I can only count a couple of months where I could really say I really enjoyed playing cricket, which is a shame because as a kid, I started playing cricket in the streets of Karachi before moving to the UK and cricket was my everything.

“To look back on it with everything I went through is just something really difficult and it’s hard for me to put it into words how it makes me feel about it, really.”

For legal reasons, specific details of his claims cannot be published.

However, he said that a lack of Asian-origin players rising through Yorkshire’s ranks didn’t play on his mind as a junior until an “eye-opening” experience in 2010.

The eye-opener was then club captain and now coach, Andrew Gale, professing his dream to lead a team purely of born and bred Yorkshiremen.

“We’ve been brought up in Yorkshire, we know all about the tradition and the pride, and I’d love to see the day when once again we will field 11 Yorkshiremen. I dream of leading out a team of players born and bred in the county,” Gale told a media source at the time.

Rafiq immediately felt like an outsider.

Under Gale’s suggestion, Huddersfield-born Shahzad and Bradford’s Rashid would have been clear to play for Yorkshire, but Rafiq wouldn’t have, despite living in the county for almost a decade to that point.

Another senior figure at the club during Rafiq’s time in Yorkshire was Boycott.

The now-80-year-old served as president from 2012-2014, and later tried to rejoin the board in 2016, only to be rejected by its members 758 votes to 602.

The following year, Boycott — who in the 80s played a pivotal role in a rebel England tour of apartheid-era South Africa — was caught in his own racism controversy after he was once again rejected for knighthood.

During a Q&A session at a day-night Test between England and West Indies, he reportedly claimed West Indies cricketers were being handed knighthoods like “confetti” while he was repeatedly overlooked.

“Mine’s been turned down twice. I’d better black me face,” he was reported to have said before making a grovelling apology on Twitter.

“Speaking at an informal gathering I was asked a question and I realise my answer was unacceptable,” he wrote. “I meant no offence but what I said was clearly wrong and I apologise unreservedly.”

Rafiq hasn’t played another first-class or T20 match since being released by Yorkshire.

Today, he runs a cafe with his family in South Yorkshire, while he holds a level three advanced coaching licence with the ECB.

He also owns a crowd-funding page to help fight racism in cricket, which had received £5,680 from 194 pledges by Tuesday, while his door is open to anyone who wishes to share their own experiences but isn’t yet willing to go public.

That has included players at Collingwood Football Club, which was found by an independent report this year to have had a problem with systemic racism.

Rafiq is familiar with the experiences of former Magpie Heritier Lumumba, which he describes as “incredibly sad”.

“It makes me angry. It couldn’t be more similar (to my experience) if we tried,” he added, while revealing that he’s spoken to current players at Collingwood in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Rafiq continues to receive abuse in emails and on social media, where he regularly speaks out against racism more broadly.

He earlier told a website that his family have also received threats, while his legal team have been sent “implicitly vile messages”.

The publication reports that one of the messages to Rafiq names the address of a post office run by his family, and reads: “Do you want it trashed or do you want to stop trashing Yorkshire CCC. It is your choice.”

Speaking to foxsports.com.au, he says the six months since he spoke out have been as tough, if not tougher, than the 15 years he spent playing cricket in Yorkshire.

Nonetheless, he says what has been most disappointing is the lack of institutional support he’s received since going public with his racism claims.

“Since I came out, there’s been a lot of challenges on a daily basis ... they’ve been huge and I would say I didn’t expect it to be easy, but it’s opened my eyes to where our game is at on a whole level, just how little interest there is in actually listening, honesty and dealing with the issue as opposed to brushing it under the carpet and ‘let’s try work out how we can get the issue to go away’,” Rafiq said.

“The lack of support from within the game has been harrowing for me to see. I’m shocked. I’m really, really shocked. We’re dealing with something that’s been going on for years, and years, and years.”

Rafiq said he has felt supported by some individuals, but not by Yorkshire, the PCA or even the ECB.

It’s worth noting England international Moeen Ali – whose family has Pakistani heritage – has previously praised the national team for embracing diversity.

After Ali and Rashid were spotted stepping away from champagne celebrations during England’s 2019 World Cup win, the all-rounder was on the front foot to defend the team.

“We are an incredibly diverse team from different backgrounds and cultures but, crucially, we respect this and embrace it. We never shy away from it,” Ali, a devout Muslim, wrote in The Guardian.

“We respect our teammates and their desire to do this,” he added of the champagne celebrations. “They respect our beliefs. It’s really that simple.

“The amazing thing about our team is that guys took time out very early on to talk to us about our religion and culture.”

It’s clear, however, that the same level of support has never trickled as far as Rafiq in Yorkshire where there’s still a dearth of professional players of Asian origin. That is despite its large Asian community, particularly in West Yorkshire which has a population that’s 16.1 per cent Asian or Asian British, according to most recent census data.

Rafiq says he hopes for the day that his child can grow up in the county and not have to endure a similar experience to his.

“I’ve seen the pain that my family went through and my dad went through and, as a parent now, that’s my biggest fear,” he said.

“I’m not fearful of any organisation, of any individual or anything. My fear is my son having to go through it and go through it quietly. That is where my strength comes from.

“The institutions, the authorities, they can try whatever they want, they can use PR stuff to try make them look good, whichever angle they want to go to — I ain’t going away. I ain’t going away.

“Like I said, it was never going to be easy. It’s been difficult on a daily basis.

“Abuse has been there, emails have been sent, social media, you name it, it’s been there.

“But it’s not going to make me stop fighting the case.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...e/news-story/9b026c185543ca3bfd4d650bdea28c1a

 

[MenInG]

Yorkshire have received the findings of an independent investigation into the racism allegations made by the county's former player Azeem Rafiq.

 

[MenInG]

Here’s a statement from Ian Watmore, ECB chair, in relation to the independent investigation commissioned by Yorkshire CCC into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations:

“We respect the independent process behind the review, and the Club's legal responsibilities to all parties. We also understand the frustration at the length of time this investigation has taken.

“Now that the Club has a full copy of the report, we have today written to Yorkshire to formally request a copy, together with a timeline for publication.

“It has taken considerable courage for Azeem Rafiq to speak out, and it is right that his experiences should have been thoroughly investigated. We now look forward to receiving a copy of the report promptly to enable us to fulfil our role as the ultimate regulator of the game.”

 

[MenInG]

In September 2020, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club launched a full investigation into allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq spanning back to 2008.

The investigation was conducted by international law firm Squire Patton Boggs and was extensive. They interviewed many witnesses, including Azeem, current and former players, coaching staff and management, who willingly came forward. They also considered significant amounts of material and evidence submitted by a broad range of contributors. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this important process.

In addition to investigating Azeem’s specific allegations, the scope of the investigation also considered whether Yorkshire County Cricket Club was institutionally racist.

An independent panel of experts was appointed, with relevant experience within the fields of HR, sport, governance and employment law. The Panel was chaired by Dr Samir Pathak, a consultant pancreatic surgeon at St. James’s University Hospital in Leeds, a trustee of the MCC Foundation and member of the MCC Cricket Committee. The Panel all undertook the role outside of their day jobs and on a voluntary basis. The Panel’s role was to oversee the integrity of the investigation, make their own findings and propose recommendations to the Club as to future actions it should take.

It is important to note that this is not a judicial process and everyone who participated did so voluntarily.

The investigation has been in depth and far from easy. It commenced in November once it had received Azeem’s statement, three months after the allegations were made. Further witnesses came forward in April 2021. We acknowledge that it has been a distressing and difficult period for those involved. We are sorry that the process took longer than we had hoped, but it has always been our position that the investigation should be thorough, and so far as possible, not compromised by external factors.

We have now received the final report together with a set of recommendations. The Board was made aware of these last weekend and is in the process of reviewing the findings.

It is inevitable that there is much to digest and we shall have to take advice on the contents of the report. We are mindful that in a process of this nature we have a duty of care to all who participated, and we must not breach that duty. We aim to publish as much of the report and recommendations as we are able, subject to any legal restraints on doing so, in the coming weeks.

There were many allegations made against the Club most of which relate to a period more than ten years ago. Many of the allegations were not upheld and for others there was insufficient evidence for the Panel to make a determination. It is right, however, to acknowledge from the outset that several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld and that sadly, historically, Azeem was the victim of inappropriate behaviour. This is clearly unacceptable. We would like to express our profound apologies for this.

The Panel also found that the Club failed to implement its policies and procedures in relation to these serious issues. The Club understands the importance of the Panel’s findings.

The Yorkshire County Cricket Club Chair, Roger Hutton, said : “I would like to acknowledge Azeem’s courage in raising these issues, and his participation in the investigation, which I understand must have been very difficult. I would also like to express my sincere apology to him for certain failings by the Club, which have been highlighted by the Panel.

“He has very obviously experienced some difficult and distressing times during the time since 2008 and the Club could, and should, have supported him better.

“Since I joined the board in 2020, it has become obvious to me that both prior to and since, it has continually tried to improve its relationship with diverse communities. It has however not progressed far enough, particularly as we learn to see the world from fresh eyes, and I consider that this report will be a platform for further important changes at YCCC.”

 

[mastimasti]

Here’s a statement from Ian Watmore, ECB chair, in relation to the independent investigation commissioned by Yorkshire CCC into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations:

“We respect the independent process behind the review, and the Club's legal responsibilities to all parties. We also understand the frustration at the length of time this investigation has taken.

“Now that the Club has a full copy of the report, we have today written to Yorkshire to formally request a copy, together with a timeline for publication.

“It has taken considerable courage for Azeem Rafiq to speak out, and it is right that his experiences should have been thoroughly investigated. We now look forward to receiving a copy of the report promptly to enable us to fulfil our role as the ultimate regulator of the game.”

"...the ultimate regulator of the game"

Interesting phrase, and if Yorkshire fail to publish the report, or do so with redactions? How will the ECB look then?

they are entirely powerless in this situation.

 

[MK7Z]

So the posters who were claiming he was playing the "race card" have anything to say about this?

 

[Forum363]

So the posters who were claiming he was playing the "race card" have anything to say about this?

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] will bring up his bad behaviour and refuse to acknowledge that the English cricket has an inherent racism problem.

It’s hard to prove these things too given things are often said in the heat of the moment, or the people involved know how to say things passive aggressively to not openly be caught.

 

[MenInG]

INDEPENDENT COMMISSION FOR EQUITY IN CRICKET (ICEC) STATEMENT ON AZEEM RAFIQ CASE

ICEC Chair Cindy Butts said:

"We commend Azeem Rafiq for the bravery he has shown in speaking up and shining a light on the racism he said he experienced as a Yorkshire Cricketer. We note with concern that the Independent Panel, chaired by Dr. Samir Pathak, concluded that several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld and that he was the victim of inappropriate behaviour. We await a copy of the report but recognise both the pain and the distress of participating in an investigation into these matters. It is critical that Azeem, and others who gave evidence, receive appropriate support and we are seeking assurances that this is the case.

"The Commission aims to conduct a thorough examination of how ECB-governed cricketing organisations approach complaints of racism and wider discrimination, and will consider the panel’s report and its implications. We will be reaching out to Azeem and others to speak to us as part of our work to build the body of evidence needed to promote meaningful and sustainable changes to the game.

"Our call for evidence launches in the Autumn 2021 and we are keen to hear from anyone who has experienced discrimination in cricket. We encourage all to take this opportunity to share their experiences and will provide opportunities to individuals to disclose both confidentially and anonymously to the Commission. Our work will conclude in the Summer 2022 wherein we will publish our final report with recommendations designed to make cricket a genuinely equal and inclusive sport."

 

[Bewal Express]

INDEPENDENT COMMISSION FOR EQUITY IN CRICKET (ICEC) STATEMENT ON AZEEM RAFIQ CASE

ICEC Chair Cindy Butts said:

"We commend Azeem Rafiq for the bravery he has shown in speaking up and shining a light on the racism he said he experienced as a Yorkshire Cricketer. We note with concern that the Independent Panel, chaired by Dr. Samir Pathak, concluded that several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld and that he was the victim of inappropriate behaviour. We await a copy of the report but recognise both the pain and the distress of participating in an investigation into these matters. It is critical that Azeem, and others who gave evidence, receive appropriate support and we are seeking assurances that this is the case.

"The Commission aims to conduct a thorough examination of how ECB-governed cricketing organisations approach complaints of racism and wider discrimination, and will consider the panel’s report and its implications. We will be reaching out to Azeem and others to speak to us as part of our work to build the body of evidence needed to promote meaningful and sustainable changes to the game.

"Our call for evidence launches in the Autumn 2021 and we are keen to hear from anyone who has experienced discrimination in cricket. We encourage all to take this opportunity to share their experiences and will provide opportunities to individuals to disclose both confidentially and anonymously to the Commission. Our work will conclude in the Summer 2022 wherein we will publish our final report with recommendations designed to make cricket a genuinely equal and inclusive sport."

Basically, what the Yorkshire players saw as banter was seen as racist by AR and it can't be proved one way or the other.

 

[James]

There is room for banter in any dressing room (or work environment), and it is part of building a team spirit whilst also helping people get on with the job. But racist banter is not banter at all. It is racism.

 

[Bewal Express]

There is room for banter in any dressing room (or work environment), and it is part of building a team spirit whilst also helping people get on with the job. But racist banter is not banter at all. It is racism.

I have been part of dressing rooms where racist banter was normal but things have changed.

 

[MenInG]

Azeem Rafiq frustrated and angry that Yorkshire are ‘trying to cover up racism’ by refusing to publish report

In an interview with Saj for Isport, the 30-year-old speaks about the frustration of not being able to see the details of an independent report which has taken 12 months to compile.

Two years after a formal meeting at Headingley and a year after Azeem Rafiq publicly spoke about his experiences of racism at Yorkshire, the club has finally acknowledged the former player's accusations in a statement issued on Thursday. However, the former England Under-19 and Yorkshire captain is understandably unhappy with the continued delays in the publication of the yet-to-be-released 100-page report.

“The fact that the report has still not been published is frustrating, annoying and it makes me angry. We’ve waited 12 months and now we just get the statement from Yorkshire County Cricket Club. I believe those responsible for the preparation of the report have given Yorkshire the green light to carry on the way they have. It’s not acceptable and some of the excuses for the delays have been a disgrace. I’ve been chasing members of the panel and they’ve not even had the courtesy to reply to me. I’ve given all those involved in the investigations and the report ample opportunity to do the right thing, but just when you think they couldn’t do anything worse they find a way to do it.”

Rafiq is particularly incensed about some of the wording within the statement from Yorkshire which concedes that he was “the victim of inappropriate behaviour” instead of admitting to allegations of racism that the player made as far back as August 2018.

“The statement from Yorkshire CCC is a disgrace and it’s shambolic. To turn racism into inappropriate behaviour is a slap in the face of everyone who has ever suffered any sort of racism. They have brushed my allegations under the carpet and by labelling racism as inappropriate behaviour is a kick in the teeth. They’ve attempted to make it look like some sort of apology, but then at the same time they’ve tried to twist the allegations away from racism.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) requested in a recent statement the public disclosure of the report. But whilst Rafiq echo’s the sentiments of the ECB, he feels the delays in the publication may confirm his deeper fears of a cover-up.

“I want to see the full report, but it seems they don’t want to show the full report to me, and I feel that instead they want to cover some of it up. I understand there are legal issues and implications but I’m pretty sure even I won’t get to see the full report. What the hell have I waited the last 12 months for? It certainly wasn’t to see an incomplete report. I urge Yorkshire CCC to publish this sham of an investigation.”

In Rafiq’s view, the uncomfortable truths which may have been discovered by the report could well put those who are currently in positions of power in the club in an awkward situation and may well be the reason for the hesitation for publishing the report in full.

“One of my biggest concerns always was and remains so, is that most of my allegations were based around the second half of my career and are against people that are still at Yorkshire County Cricket Club in leadership positions and still have a lot of power at the club. Despite this, I’ve tried to give the club ample opportunities to do the right thing, but they’ve not taken up those opportunities.”

The allegations made by Rafiq have effectively made the positions of some of Yorkshire executives untenable and he is adamant that action, even at a governmental level if needed, is taken against these individuals if the club is to preserve any semblance of integrity.

“There has to be accountability and there are individuals at Yorkshire County Cricket Club such as the chief executive, director of cricket and the inclusivity and diversity manager, and people within the Professional Cricketers Association who have to resign, they have to go. If this needs to go above them to Ministerial level and Parliament, then so be it, let them investigate, as this is where I believe this needs to go.”

At the very least, the statement from Yorkshire is an admittance of some of the issues raised by Rafiq. Despite his frustrations and concerns he is ready to step-up and continue the fight if he feels that the ECB and the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) are not doing their part in this regard.

“The ECB needs to step in as do the PCA if they’ve both got the stomach for a fight, or I will come out publicly and talk about every single one of my allegations and speak about every little detail with my evidence and let people decide for themselves. I’m tired of this, I’m exhausted, why should I keep mentally torturing myself when on the other hand the ECB is giving England Under-19 coaching opportunities this winter to two individuals implicated in my allegations.”

Whilst the publication of the report will confirm some of the player’s allegations, Rafiq believes that actions will eventually count more than mere words as he urges the ECB to carry out their duties for the good of the game.

“It’s taken the ECB 12 months to do something regarding my allegations, but now it’s high time they did a lot more than just issue statements if they want to genuinely protect the integrity of the game of cricket in this country.”

Rafiq has always been keen to ensure that allegations of institutional racism at the club, corroborated by Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Tino Best, as well as former employees of Yorkshire, were taken seriously by all concerned and he feels that he has given ample proof of his intentions by sacrificing his own career in the process.

“My intentions from the word go were to talk about my experiences, for the club to learn from them, take appropriate action and to seek an apology from the club, but Yorkshire CCC had different intentions. For me it was about making people aware of what I faced and to keep banging the drum as I have realised that there are a lot of people out there frightened of institutions and scared to take them on. If I have sacrificed myself and my future career, so be it, but I won’t stay quiet and I will carry on demanding justice and clarity till my last breath for myself and for future generations of ethnic minority cricketers.”

Some have questioned Rafiq’s motives for exposing the actions of his former club by insinuating that he had only financial gain in his mind when he made his claims of racism, but he is clear in his own mind about why he went public and is satisfied with how history will judge him.

“It never was about the money; it still isn’t about the money, and it never will be about the money,” he says in reference to reports that he was offered £100,000 and asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement by Yorkshire. “I hope that I have shot down some of the narratives that accused me of just wanting a pay-off.”

https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/a...-club-racism-report-ecb-investigation-1160352

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] will bring up his bad behaviour and refuse to acknowledge that the English cricket has an inherent racism problem.

It’s hard to prove these things too given things are often said in the heat of the moment, or the people involved know how to say things passive aggressively to not openly be caught.

Yes you are correct - I have no sympathy for him and nor do I feel sorry for him because of his documented bad behavior.

You cannot have a 100% racism/discrimination free society. We do not live in a utopian world. It exists in English cricket just like it exists everywhere including in Pakistan.

If you perform well enough you will get rewarded and racism will not hold you back. However, when you are a failure, you will always use the racism card to justify your failures. Rafique is no different.

Give it a few years and the mentally weak Haseeb Hameed will give a thundering interview to The Telegraph and blame racism for why his career went off the rails.

Racism card is a golden ticket for POC. It yields instant sympathy from the masses and diverts attention from the fact that you did not make it because of your own shortcomings.

You will be hard pressed to find a single British Asian cricket who does not have a victim mentality. The only exception would be Adil Rashid, and no wonder he has and is still doing a wonderful job for England and is one of the first names on the team sheet in the white ball formats.

 

[Forum363]

Yes you are correct - I have no sympathy for him and nor do I feel sorry for him because of his documented bad behavior.

You cannot have a 100% racism/discrimination free society. We do not live in a utopian world. It exists in English cricket just like it exists everywhere including in Pakistan.

If you perform well enough you will get rewarded and racism will not hold you back. However, when you are a failure, you will always use the racism card to justify your failures. Rafique is no different.

Give it a few years and the mentally weak Haseeb Hameed will give a thundering interview to The Telegraph and blame racism for why his career went off the rails.

Racism card is a golden ticket for POC. It yields instant sympathy from the masses and diverts attention from the fact that you did not make it because of your own shortcomings.

You will be hard pressed to find a single British Asian cricket who does not have a victim mentality. The only exception would be Adil Rashid, and no wonder he has and is still doing a wonderful job for England and is one of the first names on the team sheet in the white ball formats.

There’s a huge difference between trying to be 100% racism free and having underlying racism at the very core of the institution/ sport.

It’s easy for you to pass judgement sitting in Pak but having been part of the English cricket club scene I can personally vouch for this. Now I was not a great cricketer and was never going to play international but incredibly passionate about the game. Yet playing and training was the only part of my life in England where I’ve felt consistent and inherent racism. Not in school, not in social circles of full of white people who drank, not in a cut throat banking world of self admitting arseholes who had every flaw known to man. But in English cricket. And so many of my friends (who were at a level where it could have gone either way) attest to the same thing.

Now you could argue that had they been good enough they would have gone through, but not everyone is a prodigy. Some players take time to develop.

It’s amazing that you’re trying to discount racism here because ‘it happens everywhere’ and because azeem has a disciplinary record. For once try to take off this hat of being devils advocate and show people that you have the decency to be objective and fair for once.

 

[Mamoon]

There’s a huge difference between trying to be 100% racism free and having underlying racism at the very core of the institution/ sport.

It’s easy for you to pass judgement sitting in Pak but having been part of the English cricket club scene I can personally vouch for this. Now I was not a great cricketer and was never going to play international but incredibly passionate about the game. Yet playing and training was the only part of my life in England where I’ve felt consistent and inherent racism. Not in school, not in social circles of full of white people who drank, not in a cut throat banking world of self admitting arseholes who had every flaw known to man. But in English cricket. And so many of my friends (who were at a level where it could have gone either way) attest to the same thing.

Now you could argue that had they been good enough they would have gone through, but not everyone is a prodigy. Some players take time to develop.

It’s amazing that you’re trying to discount racism here because ‘it happens everywhere’ and because azeem has a disciplinary record. For once try to take off this hat of being devils advocate and show people that you have the decency to be objective and fair for once.

Rafique should have never played a single game under ECB after he publicly abused the U-19 coach for not selecting him.

He has already received more favors than ECB than he deserves, and I couldn’t care less if he was racially abused.

He is an awful cricketer and an awful human being and I have no sympathies for him.

 

[Zaz]

Rafique should have never played a single game under ECB after he publicly abused the U-19 coach for not selecting him.

He has already received more favors than ECB than he deserves, and I couldn’t care less if he was racially abused.

He is an awful cricketer and an awful human being and I have no sympathies for him.

Shocking and disgusting post You couldnt care less if he was racially abused? You tread new depths everyday

 

[James]

Rafique should have never played a single game under ECB after he publicly abused the U-19 coach for not selecting him.

He has already received more favors than ECB than he deserves, and I couldn’t care less if he was racially abused.

He is an awful cricketer and an awful human being and I have no sympathies for him.

Dude, what the?

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Rafique should have never played a single game under ECB after he publicly abused the U-19 coach for not selecting him.

He has already received more favors than ECB than he deserves, and I couldn’t care less if he was racially abused.

He is an awful cricketer and an awful human being and I have no sympathies for him.

Why is he an awful human being? Have you ever studied abroad or traveled outside of Pakistan? Do you live in the city brother or are you residing in the hills?

 

[MenInG]

Shocking and disgusting post You couldnt care less if he was racially abused? You tread new depths everyday

Think best to move on - he clearly has no idea about the situation and is making some generic remarks.

 

[Forum363]

Rafique should have never played a single game under ECB after he publicly abused the U-19 coach for not selecting him.

He has already received more favors than ECB than he deserves, and I couldn’t care less if he was racially abused.

He is an awful cricketer and an awful human being and I have no sympathies for him.

So you haven’t addressed any of the points about racism etc and remain fixated on the behaviour of the individual.

You do realise that by your rationale, only he without sin is able to speak up on moral issues. And there are not many people like that left.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Discrimination, whether racial, religious, linguistic or whichever, can destroy the victim from inside. Not everyone is mentally and emotionally strong enough to cope with such stuff. Any type of conscious discrimination should be condemned and discouraged. Anyone who says otherwise is a rotten individual either living under a rock or a perpetrator himself without any ethical or moral code.

 

[MK7Z]

Some views on this thread are just wow. Not going to name the poster but to say he does not care if someone is racially abuse etc. Wonder that sisters and mothers walking on the streets being hurled racial abuse think about this?
Or people in other work environments who have had disagreements which are not uncommon with colleagues and that been racially abused? did they bring it on themselves?

 

[MenInG]

England Test captain Joe Root says it is "difficult" to see former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq "hurting" after he was the victim of "inappropriate behaviour" at the club.

Rafiq, 30, said last year that "institutional racism" at the club left him close to taking his own life.

He later accused Yorkshire of downplaying racism after "several of the allegations" were upheld in an independent investigation. Yorkshire offered "profound apologies".

Root, who played with Rafiq at Yorkshire, told BBC Sport: "From a personal point of view, Azeem is an ex-team-mate and a friend. It is difficult to see him hurting as he is.

"I hope that this can move quickly and can be dealt with swiftly moving forward, from a club point of view and for everyone involved.

"If anything, it just shows that we need to keep finding ways of making our game as diverse as we can, keep improving it, and make sure this is the last time that we have this conversation."

The independent investigation began in September and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wrote to the club last week to ask for a copy of the findings.

Yorkshire responded by saying "several of the allegations" were upheld. They have yet to publish the report or the recommendations, though they have responded to an ECB request for a timeline of publication by stating an aim to disclose the information "in the coming weeks".

The club said the scope of the investigation - carried out by law firm Squire Patton Boggs - went beyond solely examining Rafiq's allegations, also considering whether they were institutionally racist."The investigation has been in depth and far from easy," said Yorkshire. "Sadly, historically, Azeem was the victim of inappropriate behaviour."

Root added: "We have to keep trying to create opportunities, keep educating, and doing everyone we can to make this game for everyone,.

"As a team, we are certainly desperate to do that. We want to move the game forward and everyone to feel like it is a game for them.

"We will continue, as a team, to keep trying to find a way to do that, but everyone involved in the game has to do that as well."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

MPs have told Yorkshire to publish the findings of an independent report into allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq "immediately".

Rafiq had claimed "institutional racism" at the club left him close to taking his own life.

Yorkshire offered its "profound apologies" last month, after "several of the allegations" were upheld in an independent investigation.

It said on 19 August the report would be released "in the coming weeks".

However, MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee have demanded the "immediate" release of the report.

"We are very surprised that this report has not been published by Yorkshire County Cricket Club, given the seriousness of the allegations of racism which span more than a decade and the fact that it has taken almost three years to reach this point," said DCMS committee chair Julian Knight.

"Given that YCCC said in its statement that several allegations made against the club had been upheld, and that Azeem Rafiq had been a victim of inappropriate behaviour, it is crucial that the process, the report and its full findings are made public and open to scrutiny. He deserves no less."

And in a letter to Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur, he added: "The committee calls on you to publish the full report, including all of the recommendations, immediately."

Last month, Yorkshire admitted their former player was "the victim of inappropriate behaviour", but the 30-year-old responded to this by accusing the club of downplaying racism.

Speaking to BBC Asian Network's Ankur Desai, he added. "A year of pain, a year of trying to get people to listen, a year of giving people an opportunity to do the right thing and we end up with a statement that turns racism into inappropriate behaviour."

Rafiq also stated he had "lost faith" in the process.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If you are looking for sympathy you should look in another direction.

He is yet another Asian cricketer whinging about racism after failing to make a mark because he was not good enough.

This Azeem guy was touted as a future England player once upon a time, but he failed to make the step because he didn’t prove to be good enough or didn’t work hard enough. Now of course he is going to blame racism.

Another racism story that has been gulped up by gullible folks who have no capacity to look at the bigger picture. This is nothing new.

Posts that aged very poorly.

This is why you should not make judgments on someone's character, who you don't even know personally.

 

[Mamoon]

Posts that aged very poorly.

This is why you should not make judgments on someone's character, who you don't even know personally.

I am more than comfortable making judgements on his character based on this:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/aug/04/azeem-rafiq-banned-twitter

As I have reiterated many times, I have no sympathy for him, he deserves what he got, he is after money and he should have been booted out by Yorkshire CC after his outburst against the England U-19 coach in 2010.

He is a despicable person and you reap what you sow.

 

[Mamoon]

Rafiq is the type of individual who would have been racist himself if he was white.

He abused the England U-19 coach after he was rightfully axed from the squad for his disciplinary issues.

So he has nothing to complain for. He is just like them.

No decent and respectful human being would abuse his coach, that too publicly. It amazes me that people are sympathizing with him.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I am more than comfortable making judgements on his character based on this:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/aug/04/azeem-rafiq-banned-twitter

As I have reiterated many times, I have no sympathy for him, he deserves what he got, he is after money and he should have been booted out by Yorkshire CC after his outburst against the England U-19 coach in 2010.

He is a despicable person and you reap what you sow.

Your arrogance is amusing but unsurprising. I guess some people are just too egotistical to admit they were proven wrong. Even when their entire statements are contradicted word for word.

 

[Last Monetarist]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My feelings below while I understand the statement/report & respond &#55358;&#56626;&#55356;&#57341;&#55358;&#56626;&#55356;&#57341; <a href="https://t.co/6DZ1OjVooG">pic.twitter.com/6DZ1OjVooG</a></p>— Azeem Rafiq (@AzeemRafiq30) <a href="https://twitter.com/AzeemRafiq30/status/1437309923323490304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[topspin]

Rafiq is the type of individual who would have been racist himself if he was white.

He abused the England U-19 coach after he was rightfully axed from the squad for his disciplinary issues.

So he has nothing to complain for. He is just like them.

No decent and respectful human being would abuse his coach, that too publicly. It amazes me that people are sympathizing with him.

People make mistakes especially in their youth. No one is perfect. Ben Stokes did something a lot of worse, will you call him a despicable person for his actions? Or is that term only reserved for British Pakistanis?

Not sure if you’re aware but Azeem Rafiq refused to accept a settlement from Yorkshire. In my eyes that shows to me he was truly a victim of injustice.

Abusing a coach and being a victim of institutional racism are not comparable. Maybe in your world it is but certainly not to any other person rational individual.

I don’t understand why you have to comment on this thread when you have nothing in common or good to say about British Pakistanis. You can’t relate to them because you come from a privileged background in Pakistan. Many British Pakistanis have experienced racism from their childhood days and are still subjugated to racism today.

The only thing that is despicable on this matter is your accusation of Azeem Rafiq being a racist, if he was a white person.

 

[Mamoon]

People make mistakes especially in their youth. No one is perfect. Ben Stokes did something a lot of worse, will you call him a despicable person for his actions? Or is that term only reserved for British Pakistanis?

Not sure if you’re aware but Azeem Rafiq refused to accept a settlement from Yorkshire. In my eyes that shows to me he was truly a victim of injustice.

Abusing a coach and being a victim of institutional racism are not comparable. Maybe in your world it is but certainly not to any other person rational individual.

I don’t understand why you have to comment on this thread when you have nothing in common or good to say about British Pakistanis. You can’t relate to them because you come from a privileged background in Pakistan. Many British Pakistanis have experienced racism from their childhood days and are still subjugated to racism today.

The only thing that is despicable on this matter is your accusation of Azeem Rafiq being a racist, if he was a white person.

Yes, he made a “mistake” just like Yorkshire officials/players made “mistakes” by being racist towards him.

Why should he be let off for what he said and why should they be crucified? The double-standards are laughable.

If he is not after money, what does he want? Yorkshire should get on their knees and beg forgiveness? They should guarantee, in writing, that they will never be racist towards anyone ever again?

I don’t see where Azeem is going with this and what his end goal is.

He needs to move on.

 

[topspin]

Yes, he made a “mistake” just like Yorkshire officials/players made “mistakes” by being racist towards him.

Why should he be let off for what he said and why should they be crucified? The double-standards are laughable.

If he is not after money, what does he want? Yorkshire should get on their knees and beg forgiveness? They should guarantee, in writing, that they will never be racist towards anyone ever again?

I don’t see where Azeem is going with this and what his end goal is.

He needs to move on.

It's for Yorkshire to make the admission that racism is a problem in their camp and address what measures they will take to prevent other aspiring British Asian players from being subjugated to the institutional racism that was experienced by Azeem Rafiq.

 

[Golden arm]

If you are looking for sympathy you should look in another direction.

He is yet another Asian cricketer whinging about racism after failing to make a mark because he was not good enough.

This Azeem guy was touted as a future England player once upon a time, but he failed to make the step because he didn’t prove to be good enough or didn’t work hard enough. Now of course he is going to blame racism.

If this guy would have been good enough and would have been an England star, he wouldn’t be complaining. It is that obvious.

Besides, anyone who is sympathizing with him needs to look at this:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/aug/04/azeem-rafiq-banned-twitter

When he was dropped from the U-19 team in 2010, he called the U-19 coach a “useless w*nker”.

That is how big a loser he is and was. Always trying to find a way to blame others instead of taking responsibility for the fact that he was not performing on the pitch.

People like him will always look for reasons to blame others. First, ECB was incompetent, second the U-19 coach was a useless w*nker and third Yorkshire CCC is the home of racism all because this guy turned out to be a rubbish cricketer.

ECB actually let him off easily by fining him for £500 and banning him for a month. He should have been booted out for good because this type of behavior and attitude are not acceptable.

Adil Rashid has been at Yorkshire CCC since 2006. He has basically grown up in the environment this failure is talking about. But yet, you will not see him whinge about racism.

Simply because he is actually a good cricketer who let his skill with the ball do the talking and had no reason to blame racism because he could hold his own as a cricketer. Today, he is England’s premier spinner in Limited Overs cricket while this guy is a complete nobody.

This story of him walking alongside Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad. You would never have heard it from Rashid. Why? Because he doesn’t need it; he is secure and successful.

But there is a good chance Ajmal Shahzad will latch onto it and claim his two minute of fame because like Rafiq, he is also a failure who couldn’t cut it in international cricket. However, I heard he is a coach for ECB now, so perhaps will keep it quiet to save his job.

Rafiq had everything going for him 10 years back. Captained Yorkshire CCC T20 side and became the youngest ever to do so. So how come such a racist club didn’t have a problem with making Rafiq captain?

He was also handed the England U-19 captaincy but once he stopped performing and got rightfully dropped, he labeled ECB incompetent. Where was this incompetence when he was made captain?

Another racism story that has been gulped up by gullible folks who have no capacity to look at the bigger picture. This is nothing new.

Does racism exist in English cricket? Of course. It exists everywhere. Do people use racism to deflect their own failures? Sadly, it happens quite frequently as well. This is no different.

I wonder whats your thoughts are, once the official report is out finally after a really long time and pressure from the different sections of society?

 

[MenInG]

The Yorkshire County Cricket Club will undertake a rigorous audit with the National Centre for Diversity to improve equality, diversity and inclusion practices at Emerald Headingley.

Operating in the UK and Ireland, the National Centre for Diversity (NCFD) works with 600 partners from companies and organisations of all sizes and sectors to help improve EDI practices and transform workplace cultures.

It accredits and awards companies with Investors in Diversity, Leaders in Diversity and Masters in Diversity based on a neuroscience approach. which explains human behaviour in relation to FREDIE: Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement.

The IID programme is an eye opener on how the organisation lives and breathes EDI and it's not just pulled off the shelf every six months. It also ties into an organisations journey and provides a roadmap.

Yorkshire will be assigned its own dedicated NCFD advisor and a Personal Relationship Manager who will undertake a cultural audit to establish where the organisation is right now in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion, and where it wants to be.

Once the results of the cultural audit are shared, the advisor will report the key findings and help to build a bespoke action plan for the organisation. The NCFD will then re-audit Yorkshire to evidence what it has achieve and benchmark its result against the Investor in Diversity framework.

Mo Hussain, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager said: “The partnership with NCFD is another significant step within an ongoing journey with regards to equality diversity and inclusion, this is one of a number of active initiatives that YCCC through its EDI committee has committed to.

“We believe that the collaborative approach and new partnership with NCFD is a timely one, and will enable us to build on the momentum that has been gained. I am looking forward to working with NCFD.”

Solat Chaudhry, CEO National Centre for Diversity said: "We understand that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has had a difficult 12 months. But there is a real determination to try and improve inclusion within the Club.

"The challenge is clear, to help YCCC improve though an intensive, rigorous, and external independent verification process. Now is the time to close the gaps, scrutinise and be a much needed critical friend.

"THE NCFD Investors in Diversity award is a recognised national equality standard, that will provide the Club with a bespoke approach for improving Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (FREDIE) practices.

"So far we have seen a real determination from the senior leadership to work collaboratively to achieve the first step to Investors in Diversity, critical to formulating a bright new inclusive culture.

"A culture inclusive of everyone and exclusive of no one whatever their background."

 

[OMB]

Azeem Rafiq’s sister - a Yorkshire Cricket Board employee - has put in a formal complaint to the board in latest shocking episode to hit county. She’s understood to have felt shunned because of Azeem’s claims against the club

 

[MenInG]

Yorkshire are set to be charged by the ECB for bringing the sport into disrepute over their handling of the Azeem Rafiq case.

An independent report last month upheld seven complaints made by Rafiq regarding racism and bullying during two spells at Yorkshire, with the club now facing imminent disciplinary charges from the governing body.

The ECB have handed the matter over to their Cricket Dispute Commission, who it is understood will bring formal charges against Yorkshire for their treatment of Rafiq and the subsequent handling of his complaints.

The club could also be hit with further charges as there is considerable frustration at the ECB over what they regard as Yorkshire's obfuscation and delaying tactics.

Yorkshire published an eight-page summary of the 100-page report three weeks ago in which they acknowledged Rafiq had been the victim of racism and bullying, but have yet to hand the full report over to the ECB, despite chairman Ian Watmore publicly asking for them to do so at the start of August.

The ECB's lawyers are understood to be challenging Yorkshire's reasons for their refusal to share the report, which has been in the club's possession for almost two months.

The ECB could also open their own investigation into the Rafiq affair, but would prefer to trust in the findings of the independent report and let their own disciplinary proceedings run their course.

While the ECB launched an anti-discrimination code earlier this year which Yorkshire appear to have breached, Rafiq's complaints pre-date it by several years so the club will instead be given a disrepute charge. Possible sanctions include a fine, a point deduction and the withholding of ECB funding.

Rafiq joined Yorkshire as an 11-year-old junior in 2002 before having two separate spells as a professional at Headingley, between 2008 and 2014 and 2016 and 2018. The seven complaints upheld by the independent report included three instances of racist language, jokes about his religion and weight that amounted to bullying and a failure by the club to take his complaints seriously.

The report also found that Yorkshire failed to provide Rafiq with halal food at matches and that the club could have done more to make Muslims feel more welcome, particularly in the context of complaints about racism and anti-social behaviour at Headingley.

In a separate development Rafiq's sister Amna has made a formal complaint against the Yorkshire Cricket Board, as revealed by Sportsmail on Friday.

The 26-year-old has been on sick leave from her role as a clubs and community development manager at the YCB, who run recreational cricket in the county since May, and this week submitted a formal complaint against the board.

The complaint is understood to allegations that she was made to feel ostracised and shunned because of her brother's allegations.

Yorkshire Cricket Board said on Thursday: 'The (YCB) believes that any internal matters concerning its staff should not be discussed publicly due to employee welfare, confidentiality and data protection reasons.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...ent-following-racism-bullying-complaints.html

 

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Please find attached a statement from Azeem Rafiq’s spokesperson.

This is a full response to Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s statement and summary from 10 September.

 

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Azeem Rafiq has received a heavily-redacted version of the findings of the report into racism allegations made against his former club Yorkshire.

BBC Sport reported that an employment judge had ordered the club to release it in full by Friday - but they have only sent a partial version.

Last year, Rafiq, 30, alleged "institutional racism" at Yorkshire left him close to taking his own life.

Seven of the 43 claims made were upheld by an independent panel.

However, Yorkshire released only a summary of the report publicly. A spokesperson for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told BBC Sport they are still awaiting the full report, having requested a copy.

Both Yorkshire and a spokesperson for Rafiq declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport.

Last month, the report from Yorkshire found Rafiq was the "victim of racial harassment and bullying" in his time at the club.

Last week, a spokesperson for Rafiq reiterated his calls for the findings to be published in their entirety, adding in a statement: "The summary was provided, in effect, by the defendant - Yorkshire. Azeem has not been allowed to see the report, comment or respond.

"Even with all of those issues, Yorkshire was forced to admit racism and bullying. How bad is the full report for Yorkshire?"

BBC

 

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The Yorkshire County Cricket Club is pleased to announce the actions it has taken since they received the Report prepared by the Independent Panel in August this year.

The Club would like to thank the Panel whose work as a Panel has come to an end. The Panellists, Dr. Samir Pathak, Stephen Willis, Rehana Azib , Mesba Ahmed and Helen Hyde gave up a huge amount of their time voluntarily. The Club are grateful for their work and insight. In particular the Club would like to recognise the hard work of specialist employment barrister Rehana Azib and HR expert Helen Hyde who ultimately compiled the Report.

The Club has previously provided a summary of that Report in the press but for legal reasons has been unable to publish the Report in its entirety.

The Club is pleased to have disclosed a redacted version of the Report as part of the ongoing Employment Tribunal proceedings on 8 October.

Following this disclosure the Club has also been able to provide a copy of the Report to the ECB and is working with them on their investigation into the issues raised. The Club is also keen to work with the ECB on issues of diversity and have offered their help to the ECB on what is such an important issue for the game as a whole.

Ultimately the issues raised by Azeem Rafiq are going to be considered not only by the Panel but also the Employment Tribunal and the ECB.

The Club has also carried out their own internal investigation following the findings in the Report after which they are able to report that they have come to the conclusion that there is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or Executives that warrants disciplinary action.

None of this diminishes the importance of the findings or that fact that there is much the Club can learn from the Report. It was important for Azeem to raise the issues and without him doing so we would not have the Panel's recommendations which are an important part of the Clubs continuing journey.

Club Chair Roger Hutton believes the Club and everyone connected to it should be proud of the work that the Club has done to improve diversity and inclusion prior to his involvement, but equally acknowledges there remains much to be done going forward. The Club is fully supportive of what is a strong and talented team which is working hard on the recommendations on the way forward for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and looks forward being able to report on further developments over the coming months.