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

Cryin Out Loud said:
For some reason - or no reason because possibly I’m indulging in my own bias here - Andrew Gale has always struck me as a dodgy character. What do the England fans think?
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Dodgy is an understatement and I was very surprised he was not the one named , yet, as rafiqs chief bully, He has previous, told a kolpak player to F off back to there they belong before
 
mastimasti said:
If they are there as a regulator, they have not regulated this issue for almost 4 years...and this is not isolated, please read my post completely before replying.
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Rafiq only made his initial allegations public knowledge to those outside Yorkshire CCC just over a year ago in September 2020. Since then whilst Yorkshire's (supposedly) independent review was taking place there has been nothing to regulate. Now Yorkshire's own review is over it's time for the ECB to step in and determine whether their investigation/response was adequate.
 
England's Moeen Ali says he is not surprised by the Yorkshire County Cricket Club racism scandal and there are "probably more stories out there", but believes "it will bring changes" to the sport.

A report found former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" but the club said it would not discipline anyone.

"It's given a lot more people a voice, people who didn't feel they could speak previously and haven't come forward," Moeen said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if more do come out but I think the fact that it's come out is great."

Moeen, who is part of England's T20 World Cup squad, was speaking on the same day Yorkshire's new chair Lord Patel told media that Rafiq should be "praised" for his bravery as a whistleblower.

'It's not banter'
Yorkshire's handling of the issues raised by Rafiq and the subsequent investigations have been widely criticised.

Birmingham-born Moeen, who is of Pakistani heritage and a practising Muslim, said: "Azeem is not doing this for his own personal gain. He wants change and that's what he's pushing for."

The club's investigations began in 2020 after Rafiq claimed "institutional racism" at the club left him close to taking his own life.

After more than a year - and having been asked to do so by MPs - Yorkshire released the findings of an independent report in September, which upheld seven of the 43 allegations made by Rafiq.

However, Yorkshire said no players, coaches or executives would face disciplinary action following the club's own investigation into the report's findings.

On 1 November, ESPN reported that the racist term about Rafiq's Pakistani heritage was regularly used towards him, but the investigation concluded it was "friendly and good-natured banter".

Former England international Gary Ballance has since said he was responsible for some of the racist terms directed at Rafiq, adding he "regrets" his actions towards his "best mate in cricket" and did not "believe or understand that it had caused Rafa distress".

Moeen said: "It's not banter at the end of the day.

"Somebody might take it well and somebody might not. I don't think you should ever use that type of language.

"The environment is really important - when the environment is right, then that type of language doesn't come out."

Yorkshire has been suspended from holding England matches and has lost a large number of sponsors, but Moeen says the scandal can improve the culture at the club.

"Sometimes you need a dip to go forward, that's from Yorkshire's point of view but also as a whole cricket community, he said.

'Players have learned from the Robinson situation'

Moeen says that while he has never felt racially discriminated against in his cricketing career, there is "no room" for racism in the sport and "a lot of players have learned from the Ollie Robinson situation".

England pace bowler Robinson was given an eight-match ban in the summer for historical racist and sexist tweets.

Posts made when Robinson, now 27, was 18 and 19 emerged during his debut on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's in June.

"It's made people more aware of things they probably weren't aware of before," Moeen said.

"It doesn't look great right now but hopefully in the future it will make a massive impact on this situation now.

"That is what we want and I'm sure that's what Azeem and everybody wants.

"Going forward, we want change and we don't have to go through what we're going through right now again in five years or 10 years time.

"We're a multicultural country where diversity is ripe and that's all we want. It's about accepting and learning as much as we can and not discriminating against anybody."

BBC
 
Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, made the following opening statement at today’s press conference.

PROFESSOR THE LORD PATEL OF BRADFORD OBE SAID:

Good afternoon.

Thank you for coming today.

My name is Kamlesh Patel, and I was appointed as Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club on Friday 5th November.

I would like to make an opening statement as I take on this position, before opening the floor up for questions.

I have been appointed with the clear remit of righting the wrongs of the past and making sure that this club is an inclusive home for aspiring players of the future.

The revelations about complaints of racial discrimination, and their handling, at this Cricket Club over the past 18 months have rocked the sporting world.

Let me be clear from the outset – racism, or any form of discrimination, is not ‘banter’. It is simply not acceptable.
My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced racism, or discrimination or abuse of any kind.

This has been a painful and difficult period for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and all those associated with it.

I thank Azeem Rafiq for his bravery in speaking out. Azeem is a whistleblower and should be praised as such, and he should never have been put through this.

And I would like to apologise to him. We are sorry for what you and your family experienced and the way we have handled this. What happened to you must never be repeated.

As an outsider coming into this situation, it is clear to me that we have handled this issue badly and the investigation was flawed.
We need to learn from our mistakes and ensure the right people are in place and ensure we do better.

Not only in terms of the root issue of racism or discrimination, but also how as a Club we deal with any issues that arise going forward.

Clearly there is a problem, and I have been appointed to see if this Club is institutionally racist and how we can address that.
Part of my role will be to examine and be clear about:
• what errors have been made in the handling of Azeem Rafiq’s complaints, both in terms of the investigation and the actions required following it, and how we can learn from them;
• the report which looks at several specific instances of alleged racism, but not the totality of the issue, and I am determined to look at any pattern of behaviours which could suggest institutional racism within the Club, how this manifests itself, and what we can do about it.

This is a complex situation, and it will not be easy.
While some strides have been made in the area of racism across the world of sport, this episode highlights the huge amount of work that still needs to be done.

There is clear and urgent need for seismic change, starting from within.

And I am determined to lead this Club to a better and more positive future.

I am a proud Yorkshireman, growing up in Bradford having left Kenya with my family at the age of one.

I have experienced racial abuse throughout my life, and my earliest childhood memory is racism.

It’s a story that I have told before but when I was a child I learnt to be a fast runner.

Do you know why? Because some the local kids liked to engage in “P-word bashing”. You had to run or get beaten.

I know that racism is not, and is never, ‘banter’.

Cricket saved me. I was a tiny, scrawny kid, but I became captain of the school cricket team and that gave me a different standing. I didn’t get beaten up anymore.

I went on to Bradford league cricket, I love the game and believe in sport as a driving force for good, bringing us together and uniting us.

That is the light I want to bring back.

In my professional career, I have been motivated to help people, whether in social work, or rehabilitation of prisoners.

My whole life has been about organisational change and tackling injustice.

I have worked at the ECB with a focus on good governance and good stewardship – working with colleagues across the world of cricket to produce the South Asian action plan to increase participation in our game from minorities.

I have fought against discrimination, including a five-year project working to tackle institutional racism in mental health care.
I am convinced that we have good people fighting for change, and we can educate and inspire young people and communities to be the best they can be.

Inclusiveness for everybody is in my blood.

Yorkshire is my home, and I want to help make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a place for everyone, from all backgrounds.

In the last few days, I have spent much of my time speaking to as many people as possible who are connected to this great Club.

This Club should be at the pinnacle of English cricket and, as a proud Yorkshireman myself, it pains me to see it in this situation.
There must be a period of truth and reconciliation to get to the bottom of our culture, and our processes, to learn from our mistakes and re-establish trust.

Trust is a much-used word, but once it is shaken, it is hard to regain.

Trust and transparency will be the key words for my tenure.
I am committed to ensuring the Club is wholly inclusive, and actively anti-racist from this point on.

A Club we can be proud of as people of Yorkshire and as a nation of cricket lovers.

I ask for space and time to listen and to learn in order that I can create change that has impact, is long-lasting and authentic.
It is essential that my first undertaking as Chair is to listen to those who have experienced racism, discrimination and abuse – and to ensure that their guidance is central to how we move forward as a Club.

I urge others to come forward to share their experiences.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club should be a club for everyone in Yorkshire.

And we are ready to listen, to believe, and to change.

While I am speaking today, I am acutely aware of the need for actions, not words.

I have only been in the role for 72 hours and I ask for patience as I get to grips with the scale of this situation.

I have had hundreds of messages from people from the world of cricket and beyond following my appointment. I thank them for those, and apologise that I haven’t responded to each and every one. I will do.

There are many actions which we have taken since I was appointed on Friday.

I want to announce that we have made the first, vital step on what will be a long journey for this club. We have settled the employment tribunal case – the legal proceedings – with Azeem Rafiq. Absolutely no restrictions have been placed on Azeem and what he can or cannot say about his experiences.

The settlement does not involve a non-disclosure agreement. The Club was wrong to have asked Azeem to agree to an NDA in the past and he rightly refused, and we have apologised unreservedly for previously making that demand.

Our offer means Azeem will be free to speak about his experiences publicly. He is free to answer any questions that are put to him when he wants – and that includes the Select Committee hearing on 16 November.

Second, we need to listen.

I have asked for an independent whistleblowing hotline to be set up as quickly as possible. I want to curate a safe space for people to come forward with disclosures.

I have instructed for this to be set up quickly – and will report on progress by the end of this week.

We want anyone who may have suffered issues to come forward and I’ve noticed that some people who have come forward recently appear to have felt unable to step forward in Azeem’s case.

This hotline will provide us with important data as to where the specific problems lie so that we can begin to make improvements. Its independence will allow any of those who felt silenced or intimidated to now come forward in a safe place.

Third, I will be commissioning a specialist independent review of our processes and procedures on diversity and inclusion (including discrimination against protected characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, disability).

We need to look at our processes and procedures around reporting incidents of racism, abuse, discrimination or bullying of any kind, informed by what has happened here over the past 18 months.

Our fans, the cricketing world and the wider public need to trust that we are fit for purpose, and can deal with issues in a fair and transparent way.

My aim is to work together with a range of stakeholders to do this, and this will be part of my action plan.

Fourth, in the spirit of transparency and in light of the investigations now underway, I have asked that the full report be shared with relevant parties who have a legal interest in this matter: Azeem’s lawyers, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the EHRC and the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

I am deeply troubled to have learned over the weekend that some current staff have been harassed and have even received death threats. I categorically condemn this and I have asked for a meeting with the Chief Constable to discuss further. Nobody should feel discriminated against or abused and that includes the staff at Headingley.

I can confirm that I have had a preliminary meeting with the England and Wales Cricket Board about restoration of International cricket, and we now know what is expected of us. We will have to demonstrate that we are addressing the root causes of the issues, and that we are leading change before having any concrete conversations on that.

On top of this, clearly the withdrawal of sponsors and International cricket has caused a financial hiatus. I’ve appointed Trevor Strain (FD at Morrisons) as our chair of finance and audit. And I will be having conversations with the sponsors.

There is more to be done, which will become clear in the days to come.

I am happy to answer questions, but please be aware that I may not have answers for everything.

I am determined to make this Club the beating heart of English cricket again.

After 158 years, we are ready to change, accept the past and become a Club which people can trust to do the right thing.

Thank you.
 
I don't know what or who to believe. The only fact seems to be that Rafiq was called a **** by Ballance, a player who he was close to and didn't report at the time
 
HitWicket said:
Rafiq only made his initial allegations public knowledge to those outside Yorkshire CCC just over a year ago in September 2020. Since then whilst Yorkshire's (supposedly) independent review was taking place there has been nothing to regulate. Now Yorkshire's own review is over it's time for the ECB to step in and determine whether their investigation/response was adequate.
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Regardless of when comments were made public, the bottom line is that the ECB was contacted by YCCC to partake in the investigation, all side agree the ECB turned it down. Harrison has claimed it was due to the role as a regulator....that is a statement that can be unpacked.

the issue in question however is not just this one case, but years of racial abuse within the ECB, stretching back to its inception, which is why those of us who know about these problems feel the ECB has not done enough historically and is not going to do anything this time around either. Maybe a test will be dropped from the Headingley schedule, that would not be a harsh enough punishment or unique, and little change will occur in the upper echelons of YCCC or indeed the ECB itself.

As I stated, read my entire comment, read the article I spoke about and read many many other reports and articles dating back to the 90s. You must be incredibly young or naive or both to think the ECB has done enough here and are above reproach.
 
mastimasti said:
Regardless of when comments were made public, the bottom line is that the ECB was contacted by YCCC to partake in the investigation, all side agree the ECB turned it down. Harrison has claimed it was due to the role as a regulator....that is a statement that can be unpacked.

the issue in question however is not just this one case, but years of racial abuse within the ECB, stretching back to its inception, which is why those of us who know about these problems feel the ECB has not done enough historically and is not going to do anything this time around either. Maybe a test will be dropped from the Headingley schedule, that would not be a harsh enough punishment or unique, and little change will occur in the upper echelons of YCCC or indeed the ECB itself.

As I stated, read my entire comment, read the article I spoke about and read many many other reports and articles dating back to the 90s. You must be incredibly young or naive or both to think the ECB has done enough here and are above reproach.
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Just to be clear, there's been no indication that Yorkshire made the ECB aware of Rafiqs allegations any earlier than last year.

I think you significantly underestimate the impact being stripped of all major matches would have on the club, it would be a financial wreck. If the club make suitable changes then sending them into financial ruin after/whilst they're actively making those changes helps nobody.

I am reading your entire comment, I'm not contesting the majority of what you state, just your suggestion that the ECB as a regulator should've been anywhere near directly helping run Yorkshire's investigation and that they should continue to be punished, quite possibly to the point of bankruptcy, even after they make active changes.
 
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I watched the opening video statement from Lord Patel, thought it was excellent. He sounds like he will be an effective leader who will make the right decisions and positively restore Yorkshire cricket club’s reputation over time.
 
HitWicket said:
Just to be clear, there's been no indication that Yorkshire made the ECB aware of Rafiqs allegations any earlier than last year.

Is this what I claimed? I clearly stated the ECB was asked to partake in the investigation. The YCCC made this claim and tom Harrison accepted it. He also stated they turned down the offer.

I think you significantly underestimate the impact being stripped of all major matches would have on the club, it would be a financial wreck. If the club make suitable changes then sending them into financial ruin after/whilst they're actively making those changes helps nobody.

The ECB have only stated this is the punishment that could be the case if the club does not improve. There is no word on what improvements the ECB require. Time will tell but I highly doubt any of this goes ahead. Maybe the loss of a test next year against NZ. It marketing speech this is known as a gesture, nothing more.

I am reading your entire comment, I'm not contesting the majority of what you state, just your suggestion that the ECB as a regulator should've been anywhere near directly helping run Yorkshire's investigation and that they should continue to be punished, quite possibly to the point of bankruptcy, even after they make active changes.

Again, is this what I have claimed? My point is the ECB are all talk no action. They will likely provide nothing more than menial punishment, if they wanted to and after the new chairman of the YCCC has already accepted the systemic nature of the abuse at the club, they should be demanding an absolute removal of remaining board members. Yet the ECB CEO Tom Harrison has the audacity to state he has not even read the report and has made no plans to do.

So what I'm doing young man is examining the years and years of evidence of the ECBs inactivity against racism and coming to the logical conclusion nothing will change this time around. If there is genuine change, I'm happy for you to say "I told you so" but I am sure it will not happen in my life time.
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Please read above.
 
Eoin Morgan speaking in a presser today:

Q. Today the independent commission for equity in cricket have launched their call for evidence asking stakeholders in the English game to come forward and share their experiences of discrimination. From your point, why is it important to share the experience so the commission can get as accurate as possible a view, I suppose, of the English game?

EOIN MORGAN: The last bit of your question was crackling. Do you mind repeating it?

Q. I wonder why from your point of view it is important that people do share those experiences of discrimination with the commission so that they can gather as accurate a reflection I guess as possible of the English game.

EOIN MORGAN: I think in a time of change, I think all opinions and examples need to be heard in order to, I suppose, find the best solution in trying to move forward and make things better for the future generations.

Q. There's lots of interest back here about these excellent performances that your team is putting together. It's another excellent tournament for England and there's of course a lot of coverage of still what's going on at Yorkshire. What do you do as a captain to balance up those two things going on? I'm sure there's still a lot of interest and concern in your dressing room about what's ongoing from Yorkshire. As a captain do you try to shelter the players from that or do you encourage and embrace any concerns that the players might have?

EOIN MORGAN: No, we definitely don't shelter anything that's going on, particularly things as serious and as relevant to our squad as anything that we've ever done, really.

So when matters of such a serious nature ever arise, particularly when it comes to discrimination and bear in mind that we talk about discrimination quite a lot because in our group there are a lot of diverse, a lot of diversity.

So we try and share our storeys as much as we can. We're all products of county cricket and at some stage throughout our careers county cricket has had a substantial role to play in the position we're in at the moment.

And I think after winning the 2019 World Cup and becoming, I suppose, a more formidable side with a bigger platform, that has allowed us to feel comfortable enough to continue to tell our different storeys along the road and ultimately feel comfortable within our own skin to play great cricket on the field but also to be a really strong role model on the field.

And what's going on in Yorkshire, we've continued to chat about things and how it might affect younger generations.

Being at the forefront of change both on and off the field for us is not always easy. Particularly at the beginning.

And I think we're at one of those stages right now for Yorkshire. And within the group we talk about seeing the bigger picture down the line and the huge benefits we will see coming into that county.

Q. I guess when you walk out to this big occasion again tomorrow and followers of English cricket, whatever their race or background or culture, want to look at your team and think I could belong on that team. Do you feel that's the case now? Do you feel the importance of that?

EOIN MORGAN: Certainly within the changing, we do. We feel comfortable about talking about things like it simply because we think of ourselves as younger cricketers. We all come from different backgrounds.

And we all want to be able to share our dream that we've dreamt about for so long as kids and have been so looking to live that dream.

We want young kids to be able to picture that but also picture a pathway in a way to be able to achieve it. So the things we do during this World Cup and beyond are very important in contributing so.
 
Another cracking article:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...in-yorkshire-achieves-his-vindication-1288427

Some takeaways I had not known of:

1. The ECB had been contacted by YCCC in August 2020 and received a statement by Rafiq in November 2020.

2. Adil Rashid, along with 3 other Pakistani origin cricketers at YCCC had previously complained about racism. No action was taken.

3. Rafiq's settlement includes a bursary for aspiring Asian cricketers and aspiring cricket journalists. A

4. This is the big one for me: Cricinfo has seen the official report and can state that two other complaints, featuring former England cricketers were upheld by the investigation and these two are not Ballance or Vaughan. Cricinfo refuses to name the players.

Point number four is sickening and bizarre, as these names should be released. Rafiq should pull no punches at the Parliamentary committee.
 
mastimasti said:
Please read above.
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Yes, I believe multiple of those are things that you have claimed or quite heavily implied:

You've said the ECB should have been involved in this case since 2018, either suggesting they should've been somehow regulating allegations they were unaware of or that they were aware of this back in 2018.

You've explicity stated that you believe the ECB should've been directly involved with Yorkshire's investigation earlier (thereby pretty much ruling themselves out of their position as a regulator).

You've very heavily implied that you think the club should face significant financial punishment regardless of whether they make an effort to try and change things (which as I've said, I don't believe helps anyone).

mastimasti said:
Point number four is sickening and bizarre
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It's not that bizarre, if Cricinfo name then they'll likely face some legal issues themselves. Far easier to leave it to Rafiq to tell infront of the parliamentary committee.
 
Yorkshire are investigating a new allegation of racism after a former academy player said he was verbally abused by a member of staff at the club.

Irfan Amjad has come forward at a time where Yorkshire are dealing with the fallout of their handling of Azeem Rafiq's racism and bullying allegations, with sponsors walking away from the club and the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) suspending their right to host international matches and other major games.

Amjad alleges that, when 16, a member of staff referenced his Pakistani heritage when criticising his batting style.

The new chair of Yorkshire county cricket club, Lord Kamlesh Patel, has apologised to Azeem Rafiq for the club's handling of his racism case and praised him for speaking out about his experiences at the club.

Amjad told Sky Sports News: "On one particular occasion we were playing a home game. I was batting, I played an attacking shot, the ball went up in the air and I got caught out. I made my way to the dressing room, sat down.

"Taking off my pads and helmet, and the coach came marching through the door, looked me dead in the eye and he said to me 'that was a typical P*** shot, wasn't it?', and he just walked out.

"I was left stunned, shocked, didn't know how to reply, didn't know what to do. I kept it to myself all this time and now I'm speaking out about it. After that incident I felt like I was kept sort of isolated from the coach; felt I couldn't really speak out in team meetings and when I heard about Azeem's story it sort of prompted me to speak out as well."

Yorkshire County Cricket Club said it was "unaware of this allegation until now but will investigate appropriately".

In response to the allegations from Amjad, and that a Muslim girl was forced to wear shorts while training despite it going against her religious beliefs, Yorkshire added: "It is essential that those who have experienced racism, discrimination and abuse are able to come forward to share their experiences.

"The club's new chair, Lord Patel, has outlined a number of actions to right the wrongs of the past and make sure that the club is inclusive for all."

Amjad said he spoke with his father after hearing Rafiq come forward.

"He [my father] said to me why didn't you tell me at the time? I would have dealt with the situation at the time? I was a 16-year-old boy," Amjad said.

"I had never been racially insulted like that in my life - indirectly or directly. This was a direct insult. I didn't know what to do. So I told him. He said you need to speak out. And here I am speaking out about my experience.

"I've rustled up the courage now having read about him [Rafiq] and what he's been through. I want to share my experience as well. So I want to thank Azeem. A lot of credit needs to be given to him for speaking out. It takes a lot of courage. Courage I didn't have at the time - until now. That's the reason I'm coming out."

Amjad also encouraged others to come forward, adding: "Definitely. It does take a lot of courage. I kept it to myself for over 10 years. I can understand if someone is in two minds - should they come out - should they not. I would urge them all to come out and make it known, make it public and share their experiences if they did experience any racial abuse."

English cricket's discrimination inquiry has asked to see a copy of Yorkshire's investigation into allegations of racism and bullying made by former player Rafiq.

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) was set up by the ECB in March and on Tuesday opened its call for evidence, which is open to everyone involved in the elite and grassroots game.

The chair of the ICEC, Cindy Butts, says she wants to "put a mirror up" to the game and confront barriers around race, gender and class.

"I am yet to hear back from (the ECB), but I hope I will hear from them imminently because the issues that are raised within the report are vital for the work that we are doing as a Commission," she told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

It comes after England all-rounder Moeen Ali said he was not surprised by the allegations of racism made by Rafiq.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised but there's probably more stories out there that people haven't heard of," Moeen told a news conference on Monday.

"The fact it's come out is great because, going forward, people (will) have to think about what they can or can't say in terms of discriminating against people and knowing what people feel and go through.

"What Azeem has done, he is not doing it for any personal gain, I think he wants change and that's what he's pushing for."

On his decision to come forward, Amjad said: "It crosses your mind [reporting it] but I was a 16-year-old boy and I didn't know what to do. I kept it to myself.

"No one else shared their experiences with me and I didn't share mine either. If I did open up, those that did experience similar issues may have opened up too."

On Monday, new Yorkshire chair Lord Patel apologised to Rafiq over the county's handling of his allegations.

The county have been widely criticised, with the England and Wales Cricket Board's suspension of their right to host international matches and other major games set to hit their finances hard, alongside sponsors walking away.

"Azeem is a whistleblower and should be praised as such, he should never have been put through this," Patel said at a press conference.

"We're sorry for what you and your family have experienced and the way in which we've handled this.

"I thank Azeem for his bravery in speaking out. Let me be clear from the outset, racism or discrimination in any form is not banter."

Rafiq and senior Yorkshire executives are set to give evidence before a parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) panel on November 16.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/...m-as-ex-academy-player-irfan-amjad-speaks-out
 
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UPDATE FROM YORKSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB

In response to numerous enquiries, and in the spirit of transparency, Yorkshire County Cricket Club will, from today, make regular updates to the media around the recent issues surrounding the club.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club today said:

“Yorkshire County Cricket Club should be a club for everyone in Yorkshire.

“As I said in the press conference yesterday we need to listen to anyone who has experienced racism, discrimination and abuse at this cricket club, and I urge others to come forward to share their experiences.

“We are aware that, since I spoke yesterday, a number of allegations have been made from individuals about their experiences in the media. These need to be properly investigated.

“I announced that an independent whistleblowing hotline will be set up as quickly as possible, as a safe space for people to come forward with disclosures. Once it is operational – and I have asked for this to happen by the end of this week – this will be the first step to a new and dedicated process to receive and to respond directly to all allegations and concerns.

“We want anyone who may have suffered issues to come forward, and these will be considered carefully and with due diligence”.

We can also confirm the following:

Andrew Gale

We can confirm that Andrew Gale, Yorkshire First XI Coach, is currently suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following an historic tweet. The Club will make a further statement once this process has been completed.

Martyn Moxon

Director of Cricket Martyn Moxon is, as of today (9 November), absent from work due to a stress related illness. He will be given the necessary support.

Report

The full report is currently only being shared with those with a legal interest and it is not appropriate to publish it whilst it is under legal review.

We can confirm that the report was sent to the Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Julian Knight MP, on Monday morning. Following his comments today in Parliament, we immediately followed up with him and the report has been re-issued to the Select Committee.

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) has launched its ‘Call For Evidence’ today. Yorkshire County Cricket Club fully supports this initiative.
 
Andrew Gale now suspended by Yorkshire for sending a racist tweet, in the least surprising news of 2021.
 
Lord Patel has certainly come in and got things moving.

He's probably done more in a few days than others had in years at the club.
 
I think Andrew Gales name will be heavily mentioned in the report, otherwise it seems a bit heavy handed to suspend him over that tweet.
 
Issued on behalf of England Men’s Test Captain, Joe Root

Official Statement

In my capacity as England captain and as a senior player at Yorkshire, I feel compelled to address the current situation that has consumed the sport and YCCC.

I just want the sport to be a place where everyone is enjoying it for the beautiful game it is and feels equal and safe. It hurts knowing this has happened at YCCC so close to home. It’s my club that I care passionately about it. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting. There is no debate about racism, no one side or other. It is simply intolerable.

These events have fractured our game and torn lives apart. We must now recover and come back together as fans, players, media, and those who work within cricket. We have an opportunity to make the sport I love better for everyone.

I want to see change and actions that will see YCCC rise from this with a culture that harnesses a diverse environment with trust across all communities that support cricket in the county.

We need to educate, unify and reset. I will reach out to YCCC new Chair, Lord Patel, to offer support however I’m able.

We have to find a way to move forward and make sure this never happens again. In my opinion, this is a societal issue and needs addressing further afield than just cricket.

That being said, we, as a sport, all have to do more. How can we all help shape things moving forward positively? What can everyone from myself, the ECB, counties, players, officials and others in the sport do to improve the state of the game? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think we need to educate more and earlier; we must call it out straight away and have our eyes and ears open more.

Inclusivity, diversity and anti-discrimination is something over the past few years the England teams I have been involved in have spent a lot of time talking about and are very passionate about improving and making a big difference. It’s a big part of our culture, and we want to celebrate our diversity. We are representing England, and in that, we are representing the multicultural society we live in. We want all the fans to be able to enjoy what we do on the field and feel proud about who’s representing them.

With the Ashes fast approaching, I’d really like the fans back home to unite and get behind us as a team. We will be playing for you all.

Joe Root

England Men’s Test Captain
 
Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that its Chief Executive Officer, Mark Arthur, has resigned with immediate effect.

In the interim, the Board has appointed Paul Hudson, Finance Director, as Acting CEO.

The recruitment process for the appointment of a full-time Chief Executive will begin in due course.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:
“Today (11 November) the Board at Yorkshire County Cricket Club has accepted the resignation of Mark Arthur as CEO. We thank him for his tenure.

“This is an important moment for the Club which is ready to move forward with new leadership, which will be vital in driving the change we urgently need.

“We know there is still much work to be done and more difficult decisions to be made. We need to rebuild the trust of the fans, the cricketing world and the public”.

Mark Arthur said:
“I’ve had eight fantastic years at The Yorkshire County Cricket Club, working alongside an outstanding group of people, and together achieving many highlights, including:

- The financing and construction of the new South Stand

- A new contract giving YCCC a 50% share of catering at Headingley Stadium

- The acquisition of the Carnegie Pavilion

- The amazing progress of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation

- The six year south Asian engagement programme

- Introduction of professional women’s cricket to Headingley

- Introduction of first class cricket to York

- Redevelopment of Bradford Park Avenue for the benefit of the community

- A £7m reduction in the Club’s long term debt

- Back to back county championship wins

I would like to thank the Members for their support over this period and wish the Club all the very best in the years to come”.

https://www.yorkshireccc.com/news/view/9628/club-statement-mark-arthur
 
Not sure if this has already been posted on the thread but this is Rafiq talking about Ballance in 2017:

"But the way we have gone about it, brilliantly led by Gary Ballance - I couldn't say enough about how brilliant he has been.Everyone sees what's happening on the field but off it, he's been absolutely phenomenal."
Click to expand...


https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/spo...-lords-final-royal-london-one-day-cup-1777081

Of course, the two bosom buddies and infamous drinking partners were to fall out the following year…when Ballance dropped him from the team.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Strange though that Rafiq never considered Ballance to be a racist bully when he was singing his praises in 2017, or when he invited him to his wedding, or when he stayed at his family home in Zimbabwe.
 
Gale is from Huddersfield.

Supporters of Huddersfield Town refer to Leeds United as the Y word because the club was jewish owned for a few decades.
 
TAK said:
Strange though that Rafiq never considered Ballance to be a racist bully when he was singing his praises in 2017, or when he invited him to his wedding, or when he stayed at his family home in Zimbabwe.
Click to expand...

Very interesting .. are you saying Rafiq is being purely opportunistic here and looking for an easy financial package in his post-cricket years?
 
Last edited:
RexRex said:
Very interesting .. are you saying Rafiq is being purely opportunistic here and looking for an easy financial package in his post-cricket years?
Click to expand...



interestingly, post Yorkshire, he wasn’t taken on by any other county, I’m told nobody would touch the then 28 year old with a barge pole due to personality issues…
 
TAK said:
Gale is from Huddersfield.

Supporters of Huddersfield Town refer to Leeds United as the Y word because the club was jewish owned for a few decades.
Click to expand...
I did sense that cancel culture gone mad a bit
TAK said:
interestingly, post Yorkshire, he wasn’t taken on by any other county, I’m told nobody would touch the then 28 year old with a barge pole due to personality issues…
Click to expand...

Think there is some truth in that but that shouldn't dismiss his albeit hypocritical racism concerns
 
Major said:
Feel bad for him that he says he had to do stuff to fit in.
Click to expand...

One of the things he apparently had to do to fit in was drink huge quantities of alcohol and stumble around the streets of Leeds in a drunken stupor…
 
TAK said:
Not sure if this has already been posted on the thread but this is Rafiq talking about Ballance in 2017:




https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/spo...-lords-final-royal-london-one-day-cup-1777081

Of course, the two bosom buddies and infamous drinking partners were to fall out the following year…when Ballance dropped him from the team.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Strange though that Rafiq never considered Ballance to be a racist bully when he was singing his praises in 2017, or when he invited him to his wedding, or when he stayed at his family home in Zimbabwe.
Click to expand...

I've made similar points.

While I genuinley do believe there is racism in cricket, and I also sympathise with Rafiq, once more of the revelations come out about his own behaviour it will actually detract from the overall cause.

In fact it will set back people who have been affected by racism as they will all be seen as opportunists.

So far we have his word against Gary Ballance and in a seperate incident with Vaughan ( interestingly with 4 witnesses) 2 of the 4 witnesses have stayed silent( having went on to represent England) and of the remaining the one who isn't Rafiq hasnt exactly covered himself in glory with his own behaviour during his playing days.

The rafiq case has rightly opened up a conversation about racism but I genuinley fear for the outcome when some more facts are revealed....
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I've made similar points.

While I genuinley do believe there is racism in cricket, and I also sympathise with Rafiq, once more of the revelations come out about his own behaviour it will actually detract from the overall cause.

In fact it will set back people who have been affected by racism as they will all be seen as opportunists.

So far we have his word against Gary Ballance and in a seperate incident with Vaughan ( interestingly with 4 witnesses) 2 of the 4 witnesses have stayed silent( having went on to represent England) and of the remaining the one who isn't Rafiq hasnt exactly covered himself in glory with his own behaviour during his playing days.

The rafiq case has rightly opened up a conversation about racism but I genuinley fear for the outcome when some more facts are revealed....
Click to expand...

The root of the matter is as follows:


Ballance and Rafiq are best mates and drinking pals, bizarre as it sounds and is, 2 way racist “banter” is the norm for the pair, away from the cricketing environment.

As late as 2017 Rafiq is publicly singing his praises.

In 2018 Ballance drops Rafiq from the team and he is subsequently released by Yorkshire.

ThereÂ’s an irreconcilable fallout between the 2.

During the period of being dropped and leaving Yorkshire, Rafiq, a player who has previously left and returned to Yorkshire, mentions racism in relation to his former bosom buddy, and coach Gale.

The allegations, are not pursued by Rafiq at that time.

Fast forward a few years and the landscape viz a viz relations has changed significantly, Black Lives Matter etc etc, and the allegations resurface and are pursued by Rafiq.
 
Update from Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Yorkshire County Cricket Club today makes the following announcements.

Whistleblowing hotline

Yorkshire County Cricket Club today announces that its independent whistleblowing hotline will be operational from Monday 15 November.

Anyone wishing to lodge a formal complaint about any form of discrimination or harassment that they have suffered as a result of any act or omission of the Club will be able to do so using a dedicated email address.

We are also pleased to announce that Mohinderpal Sethi QC of Littleton Chambers has been appointed to lead the independent investigation process which will consider any allegations that are lodged through the hotline.

Mr Sethi QC is Head of the Employment Team at Littleton Chambers and Chair of the Employment Law Bar Association. He is a leading expert in discrimination and whistleblowing in the world of elite sports, and recently conducted an independent investigation for British Gymnastics into complaints brought by Olympians

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:
“We need to listen to those who have experienced discrimination or harassment to help guide how we move forward as a Club. Since my appointment, I have urged others to come forward to share their experiences and I thank all of those who have spoken up so far.

“Setting up an independent whistleblowing hotline will allow there to be a safe space for people to come forward, secure in the knowledge that their complaint will be taken seriously, and I am happy to say that we have been able to put this in place within the week.

“Mohinderpal Sethi QC is eminently qualified in this area, and brings a wealth of experience as well as being completely independent from the Club.

“We are very pleased that he has taken on the role, which is a vital first step towards ensuring that we can move forward from our past, to hear from those who have suffered, and to take action. I am determined to make the Club an inclusive and diverse environment for everyone with a passion for County cricket”.

Mohinderpal Sethi QC said:
“I welcome the opportunity to lead this important independent investigation process. Those who report their complaints to the Whistleblowing Hotline should feel reassured that these matters will be addressed in a careful and impartial manner.”

Liaison with West Yorkshire Police

Yorkshire County Cricket Club categorically condemns any harassment of its staff, which has recently included death threats. Nobody should feel discriminated against or abused and that includes the staff at Headingley.

Lord Patel has had ongoing liaison with West Yorkshire Police since his appointment about this issue. Staff have been informed how to report any incidents and will be supported throughout the process.
 
Yorkshire County Cricket Club

The Club today makes the following comments as part of its regular updates.

Select Committee
At a formal meeting, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee will be hearing oral evidence tomorrow morning (Tuesday 16 November) on Sport Governance and issues in relation to the Club.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Club, said:
“We welcome the formal meeting of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on sport governance, and I will be listening to the session with great interest to help us understand the past and address the many challenges which have come to light.

“It is right that the issues which were initially brought up by Azeem Rafiq, and the way in which they were handled, are properly examined by the Committee. We have provided the Committee with a copy of the full report, given its legal interest in the case.

“It is clear that we have handled this issue badly and the investigation was flawed. Azeem giving evidence is an important moment and, as a whistleblower, he should be praised for speaking up. I have said from the outset that we need to listen and to learn in order to create urgent change at Yorkshire Country Cricket Club”.

Adil Rashid Statement

In response to the recent statement made by Adil Rashid:

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Club, said:

“I am aware of the recent statement from Adil Rashid, and I welcome his courage in speaking up at what is a difficult and distressing time for all those who love this Club and the sport of cricket.

“It is essential that those who have experienced or witnessed racism, discrimination and abuse are able to come forward to share their experiences.

“I have been in touch with Adil personally today so that we can talk through the issues as soon as he is ready and able.”

Whistleblowing hotline
Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s independent whistleblowing hotline is now operational.
 
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/59292200

Ex-Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq and the county's former chairman Roger Hutton will give evidence to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing on Tuesday.

MPs will hear from Rafiq after a report found he was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" but the club said they would not discipline anyone.

Hutton, who said "nobody at Yorkshire was racist" after resigning as chair on 5 November, will answer questions on Yorkshire's handling of the case.

Tom Harrison, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and its chair Barry O'Brien will also give evidence about the ECB's role in the racism scandal, its complaints procedure and the wider implications for the game.

Former Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur, who resigned last week, had been expected to appear but is not listed, while director of cricket Martyn Moxon is currently signed off from work with a "stress-related illness".

The hearing will start at 09:30 GMT on Tuesday, 16 November. Rafiq will give evidence first, before Hutton at 10:15 and Harrison and O'Brien from 11:15.

It will take place at The Wilson Room, Portcullis House - an office building in Westminster.

People giving evidence to a committee hearing, and the MPs that appear at it, are given parliamentary privilege, so can speak without the fear of civil or criminal action.

Therefore we may find out more detail about Rafiq's claims, including the names of the people at the centre of his complaints.

The full report has not been made public but it has been provided to the committee for the hearing.

New chair of Yorkshire Lord Patel said he "welcomes" the hearing and "will be listening with great interest to help us understand the past and address the many challenges which have come to light".

The committee hearing was called after the government was unsatisfied with how Yorkshire handled the investigation and the delay in sharing the full report with Rafiq and the ECB.

In September 2020, following an initial interview with Wisden, Rafiq, who played for Yorkshire between 2008 and 2018 having moved to England from Pakistan aged 10, told ESPN Cricinfo "institutional racism" encountered while at the club left him close to taking his own life.

He told BBC Sport he dreaded "every second" of his career and that a team-mate used a racially offensive term linked to his Pakistani heritage.

Yorkshire launched a formal investigation into Rafiq's allegations in September 2020 and Hutton said the club would be carrying out a "wider review" of their "policies and culture".

In August 2021, three days after Yorkshire received the findings of the independent report carried out by law firm Squire Patton Boggs, they admitted Rafiq was "the victim of inappropriate behaviour" - something Rafiq said was downplaying racism - and offered him their "profound apologies".

The report summary said Rafiq was the "victim of racial harassment and bullying", with seven of the 43 allegations upheld, although the club said they could not release the full report for legal reasons. They said there had been insufficient evidence to conclude the club was institutionally racist.

Rafiq questioned what punishments had been handed out to former players and a coach who had been found guilty of using racist language. He also questioned the validity of the investigation.

A story published by ESPN said the report had concluded that a racially offensive term used towards Rafiq was regarded as "banter".

Julian Knight MP, chair of the DCMS select committee, called it "one of the most repellent and disturbing episodes in modern cricket history".

Knight's comments came after Health Secretary Sajid Javid called for "heads to roll" at Yorkshire and said that if the ECB did not take action, "it's not fit for purpose". He further stated in a Twitter post that the term allegedly used to describe Rafiq was "not banter".
Click to expand...
 
Azeem Rafiq believes that Alex Hales named his black dog Kevin, because that was the derogatory nickname given to all people of colour by his friend Gary Ballance
 
Names like Tim Bresnan and Alex Hales, both prominent England players over the years have been named. If the committee asked more pointed questions, who knows how many more names would start popping up. The committee questions are all a bit vague though.

The big issue is the institutional racism at YCCC and the ECB..or the ECB's lack of action. How will this be addressed?
 
'I hope the report can be published'

Rafiq is asked again about Gary Ballance's statement:

"I didn't see that Gary [Ballance] actually apologised in the statement. Yorkshire and the hierarchy have made it about individuals. Even when Gary got named, I tried for him not to be named. I knew it would become an uncomfortable place for a lot of people.

"Mark Arthur, Martyn Moxon, the lawyers and the panel, it is staggering and a lot of things in there beggers belief. I hope the report can be published."
 
Rafiq on Root

Rafiq has been asked about England men's Test captain Joe Root's comments that he cannot recall witnessing racism at Yorkshire.

"Rooty is a good man. He has never engaged in racist language. I found it hurtful because Rooty was Gary Ballance's housemate". Rafiq says Root was on nights out when racist language directed at his Pakistan heritage was used.

"Maybe he didn't remember it, but it just shows the institution that a good man like him can not remember those things."
 
'No-one can put me through that pain again'

Rafiq is asked how he summoned the strength to do this.

"I have a bit of Karachi and bit of Barnsley in me," he says. "The pain I went through those few months, no-one can put me through that again.

"I was asked about my business and got a bit emotional in an interview.

"I thought there may be some humanity left but no. It was all about discredit, discredit, discredit."

The session takes a break, with Rafiq close to tears.
 
Rafiq believe racism is 'institutional in cricket'

Rafiq says: "Until 2017, I didn't really know for what it was. I was in denial. This is how I presented by evidence as well. I spoke about instances throughout my time which show it as being institutional.

"I reported it as bullying. For me to believe I was treated in this way because of my colour is difficult to digest."

Asked if he believes it is institutional in cricket, Rafiq replies: "Yes I do."

He adds: "Other people's experiences now ... and I have had lots talking about it up and down the country. The ECB has to take some responsibility too. It is their game, they are the regulators and their actions with the T-shirts, taking the knee - they were the one of the first teams to stop that.

"They need to stop palming off to other bodies, like the NACC [National Asian Cricket Council]."
 
I don’t think Yorkshire are the only county that have a history of Racism. Just because others have been more diverse comparatively, it does not mean they have been completely rid of it.
 
I've met Bresnan once at an airport. I've met cricketers before but he was unbelievably rude. Not surprised hearing his name come up.
 
This Lord Patel is new to the club and appears to be doing a sterling job in his communication to the media and it is all timely. Impressive stuff
 
This is some emotional and raw stuff from rafiq

Especially with his baby passing away and the subsequent abuse he suffered.
 
Taking on an organisation takes something out of you as a man when you fight alone with little support. I wish him peace at the end of this when the dust settles
 
FICA Executive Chairman Heath Mills said:

"FICA has been disturbed to hear of players being subject to instances of racism and discrimination in recent months around the world."

"It’s clear our game needs to continue to do more to create a safe environment for people to participate, and also to speak out on discrimination. FICA commends the bravery of those who have shared their experiences and encourages any player who has suffered any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment, to contact their players' association. FICA will continue to support the important work of its member players' associations in this space."

“The game's leadership must continue to listen and learn, and to do everything to ensure the rights of people in cricket are upheld. There can be no excuses, we must all come together, stand up and ensure all our people are safe."

FICA Board Member Wavell Hinds said:

"Many of the issues that have come to light around the world recently demonstrate the lack of a coherent approach to issues of discrimination, and human rights issues, in cricket. They also demonstrate that players, collectively and individually, can be a powerful voice to change sport for the better."

"FICA will be continuing to engage with the ICC and urging it to work with players, including through FICA, to imbed internationally recognised human rights frameworks in cricket. Players' associations continue to play a critical role in ensuring player rights are protected, and ensuring that players in all countries are provided with a safe space to form and join players' associations remains key to enabling this."

"It’s time now for more action and less words.”
 
Rana said:
I don’t think Yorkshire are the only county that have a history of Racism. Just because others have been more diverse comparatively, it does not mean they have been completely rid of it.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, there will be plenty looking over their shoulders and hoping that they don't come under the radar.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
Update from Yorkshire County Cricket Club

As part of its regular communications, Yorkshire County Cricket Club today gives the following update.

Whistleblowing hotline

Yorkshire County Cricket Club today announces that Mohinderpal Sethi QC of Littleton Chambers – who has been appointed to lead the independent investigation process to consider complaints that are lodged through the newly installed whistleblowing hotline – has now confirmed the terms of reference for his investigation.

It has been confirmed that 36 individuals have emailed the hotline since it became operational on Monday 15 November.

All communications received by the hotline are being reviewed, and Mr Sethi’s team will communicate directly with those who have made contact.

The club is committed to transparency regarding the volume of contact to the hotline and will share updates regularly, initially weekly.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:

“It is essential that those who have experienced or witnessed racism, discrimination and abuse are able to come forward to share their experiences. I thank all of those who have contacted the hotline so far.

“Lasting and authentic change, particularly in the face of a complex and systemic issue, takes consideration and time, and cannot happen without the voices of those who have suffered. Only through committing to listen, and to believe, those who have bravely shared their experiences – and those still to do so – can we truly understand the scale of the issue”.
 
Warwickshire have confirmed that Tim Bresnan will face no disciplinary action but will take cultural awareness training after being implicated in the racism investigation at Yorkshire.

Ex-England player Bresnan, 36, has apologised for claims he bullied Azeem Rafiq but "categorically denied" allegations of racism made against him by his former Yorkshire team-mate.

Warwickshire say they have spoken "at length" to Rafiq and Bresnan, and all club players will undergo "cultural awareness and appreciation training".

"Tim will be heavily involved in this process," said Warwickshire chairman Mark McCafferty, who added that the training would be extended to the coaches and wider management team.

"He fully supports Warwickshire's stance on inclusivity and understands our expectations of him as a player.

"Warwickshire are determined to reflect the communities we serve at every level, with Edgbaston a safe and welcoming place for all. Nothing will prevent us from achieving this goal."

On 16 November, former bowler Rafiq spoke to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee about his experiences of racism during his two spells at Yorkshire and made allegations of bullying against Bresnan.

In a witness statement, published after the MPs hearing, Rafiq accused Bresnan of "frequently" making racist comments towards him during their time together at Headingley and said Bresnan's behaviour led him to have "suicidal thoughts".

He said Bresnan, who played 23 Tests and 85 one-day internationals for England, later apologised "but it was lip service".

Bresnan responded in a statement, saying: "For any part I played in contributing to Azeem Rafiq's experience of feeling bullied at Yorkshire, I apologise unreservedly.

"I must though categorically deny his accusation that I 'frequently made racist comments'. This is absolutely not true."

Warwickshire said they would investigate the claims.

In the club's latest statement, Bresnan said: "I have apologised for any distress caused to Azeem when we were both part of the Yorkshire dressing room.

"I understand that there needs to be a shift in cultural awareness and understanding in the game.

"I am firmly committed to using my experience to support the next generation of Warwickshire cricketers, so that they can learn how to make the dressing room a safe and welcoming place for every cricketer to thrive."

BBC
 
Racism in cricket: Second chances needed, says Ashley Giles after Azeem Rafiq revelations.

England managing director Ashley Giles says cricket's fight against racism will have a "problem" if people are "cut off" for making mistakes.

Former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq has said he thinks the English game is "institutionally racist".

A number of former England players were among those named by Rafiq.

Giles said the recent scandal had created "discussion and reflection" among the England team as they prepared for the Ashes in Australia.

"If zero tolerance means there's no acceptance of racism and discrimination, absolutely, that's completely right," said Giles.

"But, for me, if zero tolerance means that we cut people off, we don't give second chances, we don't give people the chance to rehabilitate, then I think we've got a problem.

"This area is such a difficult area for some people to talk about but I fear if we take that route then the gap may widen and not lessen."

Giles said many England players watched Rafiq's emotional testimony to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on 16 November, adding: "We've got to do much better and I'm sure we will do much better. Discrimination of any form just isn't acceptable.

"We've got some young Yorkshire players here and this has been a really tough period for them because they clearly care about the reputation of Yorkshire cricket. We've also got some very mature individuals here, who have been thinking deeply about these issues in the game."

Rafiq's allegations against Yorkshire have been echoed by former academy player Irfan Amjad, ex-Pakistan seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and another anonymous player.

Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif have also made claims about their treatment during their time with Essex.

Two days after speaking to MPs, Rafiq apologised and said he was "deeply ashamed" for using anti-Semitic language in Facebook messages from 2011.

On Friday, the English and Wales Cricket Board announced a five-point plan to tackle discrimination and racism including a full review of dressing-room culture.

Giles' former team-mate Michael Vaughan was named in the Yorkshire report by Rafiq, who alleged he made a racist comment to a group of Asian players.

Vaughan, who will not be part of the BBC's Ashes coverage, has repeatedly denied the claims, but in a BBC interview said he was "sorry for all the hurt" Rafiq has gone through.

"We all do make mistakes and we will again but we have to be able to tolerate, educate and rehabilitate, otherwise people aren't going to be able to open up and tell their experiences," added Giles.

"For me we have to educate more, call it out in dressing rooms."

He added: "I've been involved with the game over the last 30 years and I'm sure there will be incidents and things I've said that I wouldn't be proud of in a different time and a different context.

"It's clear we need to keep creating environments where people can keep forging and sharing those experiences and where we can talk about these issues.

"I'm very excited about the chance to be involved in the dressing room review, which the captains are also excited about. Hopefully we can lead the way on that front."


Source: BBC.

-----

Feels like a lot of people in the game looking over their own shoulders at the moment....
 
So basically back to the status quo.

Ashley Giles wants to give everyone a second change....
Root never heard any racism at Yorkshire even though so much has come out about the club.
He has worked his way through the system at Yorkshire.

Poor Michael Vaughn is the only one to have been pulled from BBC coverage.

12 Point Plan from the ECB seems like another gimmick, wonder if they will be wearing anti racism shirts soon.

On with the status quo, I guess until the politicians get involved again.
 
Update from Yorkshire County Cricket Club

As part of its regular communications, Yorkshire County Cricket Club today gives the following update.

Good Governance Institute and Howard Kennedy appointed to conduct independent governance review of Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Yorkshire County Cricket Club today announces the appointment of the Good Governance Institute (GGI), working in partnership with Howard Kennedy LLP, to conduct a specialist independent review of governance at the club, and to make recommendations for subsequent governance development.

The review will consider and independently evaluate the Club’s governance against:

established good governance practice

the application of the principles for good governance

relevant sector-specific Codes of Governance, specifically Sport England’s ‘A

Code for Sports Governance’ and to include the ECB’s governance framework

outcome impact for good governance, summarised as: Ethical culture; Adding value; Robust control; and Legitimacy.

In addition to gathering all relevant documentation, the review will involve obtaining written submissions and holding a series of interviews and focus groups with individuals from Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the ECB and the wider cricket and sporting community. The full terms of reference for the review are attached to this release.

Following this review, the GGI will offer recommendations to the board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club for change, development and improvement needed to hold leadership to account and enable robust, transparent and fair processes and decision making in the best interests of the players, staff, and the Club.

The report will be shared with the Board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB on 24 January 2022. This will include recommendations to the YCCC Board for change and assurance against Tier 3 of Sport England’s ‘A Code for Sports Governance’. Prior to the AGM on 22 March 2022, GGI will produce a Governance Improvement Plan to accompany the report outlining an action plan for implementing recommendations.

The GGI works with organisations to ensure they are run by skilled and ethical leaders and helps them to build systems that are guided by ethics, evidence and equality to enable decision making that serves the public good.

The key findings, recommendations and actions will also be communicated publicly.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:
“The independent Governance review will be essential in helping us shape how we move forward as a Club following the recent challenges we have faced. It is clear that many have been failed by our leadership and how we operate as a club. We must look closely at our processes and procedures, and I am determined that we go above and beyond gold standard both on paper and in practice.

“The Good Governance Institute believes that good governance benefits society as a whole and enables organisations to play their part in building a sustainable, better future for all. That is a vision I share, and I look forward to seeing its report.

“Only through taking bold steps to understand and address the fundamental building blocks of how we operate can we build a solid platform from which to change our culture, and create a welcoming and inclusive Club for all in Yorkshire.”
 
Cricketrenew said:
So basically back to the status quo.

Ashley Giles wants to give everyone a second change....
Root never heard any racism at Yorkshire even though so much has come out about the club.
He has worked his way through the system at Yorkshire.

Poor Michael Vaughn is the only one to have been pulled from BBC coverage.

12 Point Plan from the ECB seems like another gimmick, wonder if they will be wearing anti racism shirts soon.

On with the status quo, I guess until the politicians get involved again.
Click to expand...

On the Giles statement.

It’s well known that Giles and Vaughan are very good mates.

Felt like Ashley was trying to do his friend a bit of a favour with that one.
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
Jobs for the boys?. Never.
Click to expand...

Well, indeed.

Giles somehow played over 50 Test matches despite being nicknamed the wheely bin and crowds chanting for him to be taken off. He was a deeply average SLA and handy batsman at best. His career being considered decent in the end was in large part down to his mate Vaughan picking him in the side over better spin bowlers repeatedly.
 
Update from Yorkshire CCC:

We can confirm that Martyn Moxon, Director of Cricket, and Andrew Gale, First XI Coach, have left the Club today (3 December), in addition to all members of the coaching team.

A new Director of Cricket will be appointed imminently, alongside a new coaching team which is being recruited.

The backroom medical team, external services provided by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic, has also left the Club. An interim medical team is also in the process of being appointed.

We thank everyone who is leaving for their service. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:

“Significant change is required at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to regain trust. The decisions announced today were difficult to make, but are in the best interests of the Club. Without making important changes to how we are run, we cannot move on from the past to become a culture which is progressive and inclusive.

“We want to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a place for everyone, from all backgrounds. To do this, we need to rebuild our culture and instil positive values in everyone associated with Yorkshire. We are determined to learn from the mistakes of the past to become a Club which people can trust.

“We are hoping to announce a new Director of Cricket in the coming days. We have a huge rebuilding job to do but we are confident that this heralds a step forward towards a brighter future”.
 
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Director of cricket Martyn Moxon, head coach Andrew Gale and all members of the coaching staff are among 16 people to have left Yorkshire amid the racism scandal.

A report found former player Azeem Rafiq was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" at Yorkshire.

Moxon had been Yorkshire's director of cricket since 2007.

Former captain Gale had been suspended as part of an investigation into a tweet he sent in 2010.

"Significant change is required at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to regain trust," said Lord Patel, the club's new chair.

"The decisions announced today were difficult to make, but are in the best interests of the club.

"Without making important changes to how we are run, we cannot move on from the past to become a culture which is progressive and inclusive."

Moxon, a former Yorkshire and England batter, was due to appear before MPs at the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee on 16 November but was absent from work because of a "stress-related illness".

Rafiq told the committee that racist language was "constantly" used during his time at Yorkshire.

At the hearing, Rafiq said that the day after his son was still-born in 2017, Moxon "ripped shreds" off him in a manner he had never seen Moxon use when addressing anyone else at the club.

Rafiq detailed his experiences at Yorkshire, which left him close to taking his own life, for the first time in September 2020. After the findings of the report were released a year later, Yorkshire originally said no-one at the club would be disciplined.

Roger Hutton, Yorkshire's former chairman who resigned last month, said Moxon and former chief executive Mark Arthur "failed to accept the gravity of the situation". Arthur also resigned last month.

A Yorkshire statement said a new director of cricket will be appointed "imminently".

Gale made 156 first-class appearances for the club before giving up the club captaincy and ending his playing career at the age of 32 in 2016 in order to take up the coaching role.

Speaking at the DCMS committee hearing, Rafiq said Yorkshire became "toxic" after Gary Ballance took over as captain, shortly after Gale replaced Jason Gillespie as head coach.

He said Gale's attitude towards the death of Rafiq's son was that Rafiq was "making it more than what it is", and that "hardly anyone" asked after his and his wife's wellbeing.

Gale was suspended on 9 November after the Jewish News reported he sent a now-deleted tweet containing an anti-Semitic slur to former Leeds United head of media Paul Dews.

"We want to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a place for everyone, from all backgrounds," Patel said.

"To do this, we need to rebuild our culture and instil positive values in everyone associated with Yorkshire. We are determined to learn from the mistakes of the past to become a club which people can trust.

BBC
 
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Director of cricket Martyn Moxon, head coach Andrew Gale and all members of the coaching staff are among 16 people to have left Yorkshire amid the racism scandal.
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Only a matter of time when Lord Patel was brought in.

Looks like the end of the 'boys club' mindset at Yorkshire CCC.

Who knows, maybe this is the start of a new era at the club.
 
Saj said:
Only a matter of time when Lord Patel was brought in.

Looks like the end of the 'boys club' mindset at Yorkshire CCC.

Who knows, maybe this is the start of a new era at the club.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, now that the goons are gone.
 
Seems the rumours of Azeem Rafiq having gambling debts was true...and it seems the PCA, who he threw under the bus, helped him out:

==

Azeem Rafiq had his gambling debts paid off by the Professional Cricketers’ Association — and the players’ union also arranged for him to have counselling.

Former Yorkshire off-spinner Rafiq has been critical of the PCA for failing to support him in his legal battle with the county over racist abuse, and in his emotional testimony before a parliamentary committee last month he claimed the union had not backed his case for financial reasons.

Sportsmail has learned, however, that Rafiq previously benefited from financial and emotional assistance from the PCA’s charity arm, the Professional Cricketers’ Trust (PCT), which was set up to provide medical and pastoral support for current and former first-class cricketers.

It is understood that in 2015 the PCT helped Rafiq clear gambling debts of several thousand pounds, as well as facilitating medical treatment, as they do for many players each year.

Rafiq has been open about many of his youthful indiscretions and, in his parliamentary evidence, said that as a young player at Yorkshire he had often drunk heavily with team-mates to fit in.

The 30-year-old also issued a heartfelt apology and met Jewish community leaders to say sorry last month after the emergence of anti-Semitic messages he posted on social media in 2011.

Rafiq has been a repeated critic of the PCA’s lack of support over the racism allegations he made against players and coaching staff at Yorkshire, seven of which were upheld by an independent report.

In his appearance before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee last month, he was scathing in his criticism of the union, claiming they refused to support his legal claim against Yorkshire for financial reasons and that their only concern for his mental health during a period when he was suicidal last winter was due to ‘box-ticking’.

‘I had a phone call with one of their lawyers for three minutes, and he turned round to me and said, “You don’t have a case”,’ Rafiq said at the hearing.

‘It was incredibly hurtful, particularly when I found out later that the reason was, if they’d backed me, it would have taken their whole budget.

‘I would have rather he said to me, “Look, we can’t afford it”, than saying I didn’t have a case. It made me feel like no one believed me.

‘On a human point, if someone else had told me they were suicidal and ringing to ask for help, I would forget the constitution and help the human. There have been dark moments over the winter.

‘At one point, the PCA called the police and reported me missing. I was sat with my family. I felt that was done to tick a box in case I killed myself.’

In an interview with Sky Sports News in January, Rafiq claimed that no one at the PCA had contacted him in five months since he made his initial complaint against Yorkshire — although he did say they had helped him during his playing career.

‘There’s a hell of a lot of bodies out there, organisations, that are meant to be helping these things not happen.

‘But I can speak from personal experience — the last five months after the initial contact, I’ve not really had any support from these organisations,’ Rafiq said.

‘Has anyone in the last few months rung me to see how I am? No, it’s been tough.

‘I’m struggling. I’ve found it really difficult. And I ask the question of the authorities, the PCA, the ECB, and further — what are we waiting for?

‘The PCA have been a support to me throughout my career in a lot of different other aspects, but in terms of this case, it was made pretty clear to me that the support wasn’t there, and that’s just a straight fact.’

Following the DCMS hearing, PCA chief executive Rob Lynch said that the union needed to learn lessons from the way Rafiq’s complaints were handled.

In addition, the professional development manager responsible for dealing with Rafiq’s case on behalf of the PCA, former Yorkshire batsman Matt Wood, left the organisation last month.

A spokesperson for Rafiq said on Thursday night: ‘As Azeem has made clear on several occasions over the past 16 months, the PCA have provided him with support on different matters throughout his career and he thanks them for that support.

‘However, Azeem feels he was let down by the PCA when he raised the bullying and racism he experienced at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

‘We are also concerned that confidential support appears to have been leaked, which will be a worry to anyone who has ever sought help from the PCA.’

The PCA declined to comment on a confidential matter.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...paid-Professional-Cricketers-Association.html
 
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TAK said:
Seems the rumours of Azeem Rafiq having gambling debts was true...and it seems the PCA, who he threw under the bus, helped him out:





https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...paid-Professional-Cricketers-Association.html
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Depending on which source you read, his debt was in the region of 100K. This was the main reason he played the racism card, hoping for a payout so he could pay off his debts, the holy grail.

Gotta laugh at those who said he wasn't in it for the payout cos he had a business.
 
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Technics 1210 said:
Depending on which source you read, his debt was in the region of 100K. This was the main reason he played the racism card, hoping for a payout so he could pay off his debts, the holy grail.

Gotta laugh at those who said he wasn't in it for the payout cos he had a business.
Click to expand...

The man is a complete and utter fraud...
 
Yorkshire County Cricket Club today announces an open call for applications for both its Head Coach and a number of Non-Executive Director positions on its Board.

The Head Coach – who will report into the interim Managing Director of Yorkshire Cricket, Darren Gough – will have overall responsibility for the performance and management of the First Team.

The appointment will in addition oversee a new coaching team and support staff who will be responsible for the Second XI, Academy and Pathways. Applications for a number of coaching positions will be advertised in due course.

The Club is also looking to recruit up to 6 Non-Executive Directors who are representative of the communities the Club serves, who are committed to the Board’s aim to tackle discrimination and racism, passionate about excellent governance, and willing to offer a range of professional skills and experience.

Applications for Non-Executive Directors from a range of backgrounds and skillsets are welcomed, and the Club is seeking permission to amend the Club rules to appoint NEDs from a wider pool of members and non-members.

Recruiting ambitious, talented, and diverse individuals will be vital in making sure that the Club is an inclusive home for aspiring players of the future. Yorkshire County Cricket Club is determined to strive for excellence on and off the pitch and this begins with selecting leaders whose values and visions are aligned with the journey that the club is now on.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:
“There is a lot of work to be done to ensure that Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a Club for everyone. We are committed to fostering excellence throughout the team, and we need people at the Club who believe in the process we are undertaking and want to be part of it.

“The roles we are advertising today will play a crucial part in the development of an inclusive and welcoming culture that learns from the past and welcomes progress.

“We want to attract the very best applications from a range of backgrounds to join us, and I look forward to meeting with potential candidates over the coming weeks.”
 
<b>BBC: Alleged racism at Yorkshire CCC probably unlawful, watchdog finds.</b>

<I>EHRC says it will closely monitor action plan agreed by club’s new management and England and Wales Cricket Board.</I>

Britain’s equality watchdog has said that racism alleged to have taken place at Yorkshire County Cricket Club was probably unlawful and threatened legal action if appropriate steps are not taken by the club to address discrimination.

The club has faced widespread condemnation after its former player Azeem Rafiq alleged it was institutionally racist, detailing years of “inhuman” treatment and abuse he suffered in his two spells there, including players of Pakistani heritage being called the P-word.

On Tuesday, Marcial Boo, the chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said: “The accounts of racism and discrimination at Yorkshire County Cricket Club were upsetting and deeply concerning. Sports are meant to bring people of all backgrounds together. Racism has no place in any sport, business or society.

“We have now reviewed the documentation and we consider it likely that an unlawful act has taken place.”

Boo said the commission had confidence that the new management at the club was taking appropriate steps to deal with past failures.

Roger Hutton stepped down as the club’s chairman in early November, and Mark Arthur resigned as chief executive a week later after public outrage over the treatment of their former player and the handling of the investigation into Rafiq’s allegations.

Earlier this month, the club’s entire coaching team departed, in a move the new chairman, Kamlesh Patel, said was “in the best interests of the club”.

The EHRC also welcomed the agreement of a 12-point action plan between Yorkshire and the England and Wales Cricket Board, which has itself been criticised for inaction after Rafiq first blew the whistle last year and for failing to act on racism within the game more generally. However, the regulator warned that the club could end up in court if it did not adequately put the plan into effect.

“We will … be monitoring the club’s action plan closely and we reserve the right to take legal action if the action plan isn’t implemented properly,” said Boo.

“We aim to work with the England and Wales Cricket Board and the regulators of other sports to ensure that all those participating, whether for fun, fitness, or as professionals, are not subjected to discrimination and harassment.”

In devastating testimony last month to the digital, culture, media and sport select committee, Rafiq told MPs that he had faced repeated racist comments from senior players throughout two spells at Yorkshire between 2008 and 2018 and that the club had done nothing to stop it. He said that racism also seeped into the England dressing room. Rafiq said he had felt suicidal and that his experiences meant he did not want his son “to go anywhere near cricket”.

The Pakistan-born player also recounted how, as a 15-year-old at Barnsley Cricket Club, he had wine poured down his throat despite this going against his Muslim faith.

On the same day the equality watchdog announced its response to Yorkshire’s action plan, the club announced it had entered into a partnership with a Pakistan Super League team, the Lahore Qalandars, which would include opportunities for players at all levels of each club to gain experience and playing time with the other.

Patel said it would “represent an exciting step toward a Yorkshire County Cricket Club that is welcoming and supportive to all”.
 
Yorkshire have been set a deadline by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to regain their international status for this summer.

Headingley was stripped of the right to host major matches in November in response to its handling of racism allegations made by Azeem Rafiq.

The ECB has asked Yorkshire to meet certain conditions by early spring.

Headingley was due to host England's Test against New Zealand and one-dayer with South Africa in July.

At the time of removing the matches from Yorkshire, the ECB said the county's major-match status would remain suspended until it "clearly demonstrated that it can meet the standards expected".

Former chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur have since resigned, while 16 members of staff, including director of cricket Martyn Moxon and first-team coach Andrew Gale, have been sacked.

Lord Kamlesh Patel has taken over as chairman, with ex-Yorkshire and England pace bowler Darren Gough coming in as director of cricket.

An ECB investigation into allegations made by Rafiq and others, and Yorkshire's handling of the case, is ongoing.

However, a decision on this summer's major matches will be made before the investigation is concluded in order to aid logistics and give clarity to ticket holders.

The third Test against world champions New Zealand begins on 23 June.

Old Trafford is staging concerts in the same week so unless Lord's, Trent Bridge or Edgbaston - grounds that are already hosting Tests around that time - take on another match, it could be that The Oval and Southampton are the only alternatives.

The ODI against South Africa is on 24 July. Although more grounds are capable of staging international white-ball matches, it comes at a time when The Hundred is due to begin and Edgbaston will be playing host to the Commonwealth Games women's T20 competition.

Tickets for the matches allocated to Headingley are not currently available on the ECB's website.

Any decision to strip the fixtures from the Leeds venue would have serious financial implications for Yorkshire, who have already seen a host of sponsors cut ties with the club because of the racism scandal.

Meanwhile, fixtures for the 2022 domestic season will be released after the final men's Ashes Test, either at the end of next week or in the following week.

The schedule is normally published before Christmas, but the delay was not linked to Yorkshire, who will begin the season in County Championship Division One.

Yorkshire invited applications for a number of positions, including a new head coach, in December.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/59931818
 
Yorkshire County Cricket Club today gives the following updates.

Lord Patel has written an op-ed reflecting on the progress made by the club to date as we enter 2022 which appears in today’s Yorkshire Post (full text below).

The Club also today announces that it will hold county-wide summer trials in the hunt for new cricketing talent, and that the friendly match announced between Club and the Lahore Qalandars on 16th January has been postponed due to global COVID-19 situation (details below)

Full text of op-ed by Lord Kamlesh Patel published in today’s Yorkshire Post (11 January 2022)

Lord Patel reflects on Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s hardest challenge to date

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to provide a model for learning and change – both in cricket and across the world of sport.”

2021 was the most difficult year in the 158-year history of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, once the beating heart of English cricket and the most successful county club in history. While the world grappled with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the Club became synonymous with institutional racism and appeared on the front pages for all the wrong reasons. We have been rocked to our foundations.

I was honoured to be appointed Chair two months ago, but I was also very aware that the rebuild – forging real and lasting change – could not happen overnight. Out of adversity, however, I truly believe that there is real opportunity: to become a shining example, leading the way for the rest of the sport by creating a scalable model on diversity and inclusion and creating a space that is welcoming and celebratory of people from all backgrounds. We have started the journey but cannot forget what brought us here.

The brave, shocking testimony of Azeem Rafiq in November was a moment that will resonate across cricket, and more widely, for years to come. The words of Azeem, and many other whistle blowers across the UK and internationally, remain a clear call to the sport that change is urgent, unavoidable, and long overdue.

I am a proud Yorkshireman. I know how important this Club is for the community, the cricketing family and all who are associated with it. Headingley is in our hearts, from Ian Botham’s heroics in the 1981 Ashes, to the drama of Ben Stokes’ swashbuckling innings taking England over the line against Australia in 2019.

From day one, I committed to listen, to learn, and to take action. Since that day, as a Club we have made some difficult decisions – indeed, some of which have been criticised – but all with the clear and singular purpose of addressing the wrongs of the past and doing what is right. I want to make all of us in Yorkshire proud of this Club, from the youngest ambitious player picking up their first bat to our oldest and most venerable Member who has watched us for a lifetime.

As we enter 2022, I firmly believe that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has made significant progress on the long journey to win back pride, as we aim to become that beacon to which the rest of the sport can aspire. We have taken a long, hard and honest look at the Club and what we need to do: to understand individual experiences of discrimination; to review the structures and leadership of the club; and to get under the hood of our culture. All of this with a single objective: to win back our stature within cricket nationally and internationally.

It will not have gone unnoticed that we are now much changed in terms of our leadership and backroom staff, following an important overhaul which led to many departures. These decisions required difficult conversations and were not undertaken lightly but were in the best interests of the Club. This moment of reset – including bringing back former captain Darren Gough as our interim Managing Director of Yorkshire Cricket – will help us create a Club which is led by people who are passionate about progress, and share in our ambition to learn from what happened and be the most forward-thinking Club in the country, on and off the field.

In addition to open applications for 6 new non-executive directors, who we want to be reflective of the communities we serve, I have called an Extraordinary General Meeting in February to vote on changes to our Club rules. We hope to diversify our talent pool by enabling recruitment from outside of our membership, whilst ensuring that our members have a strong voice in how our club is run by inviting two representatives to sit on our Board of Directors. We will be transparent about these processes.

Reflecting on some of the other actions we have taken since November, I am happy that an independent whistleblowing hotline – listening to all those who have experienced discrimination at this Club and in place for the future – was set up in a week, headed by Mohinderpal Sethi QC of Littleton Chambers, an expert in discrimination and abuse in elite sport. We await his findings with interest. The Good Governance Institute is currently independently reviewing the structures and processes through which we operate and, later this month, they will share their proposal with the Board which will form the basis for our action plan regarding the optimum running of the Club. We are also working on plans for a broader listening programme to look at our culture which will be announced shortly, and I am excited by our new partnership with Pakistan Super League team the Lahore Qalandars, which would have been unthinkable just a few months ago given the accusations of systemic racism. This long-term relationship will see us improve access to the sport and to provide opportunities for players at all levels, from grass roots to the professional game; with a key focus on under-represented groups such as women and girls, less well-off families, people with disabilities, and South Asian communities.

Clearly, this is a moment for change in dressing rooms, on pitches and in the stands in stadiums across the country. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently announced a game-wide action plan for combatting racism and discrimination, which we welcome, and its Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) hotline confirmed over 2,000 contacts in November.

It is my hope that Yorkshire can set a clear template for other clubs to use so that we as a sport can raise the standard of how we treat others, and how we measure our success. It is also my hope that the people of Yorkshire and our supporters across the UK can now start to feel a glimmer of pride – and, of course, that the ECB’s decision at the end of this month sees our beloved stadium again able to be a global stage for cricketing excellence.

While we still have a long road and a lot of hard work ahead, the potential prize is great: a once in a generation opportunity not only to transform the game in Yorkshire, but also provide a model for learning and change – both in cricket and across the world of sport.
 
AZEEM RAFIQ: Bumble losing his job at Sky is not 'change', it seems to me that only those who have apologised for offensive remarks are being held accountable... while Yorkshire SHOULD be allowed to host international cricket again

It has been a whirlwind since I appeared in front of MPs almost two months ago, and what Yorkshire and Lord Patel have done to bring change is definitely a step in the right direction.

That is why I believe the time is right to say they should be given back the international cricket so vital to their very survival. The people of Yorkshire should be able to watch England in Test and white-ball games at Headingley this summer.

The county had been very reluctant to implement any sort of change during my time at the club, and since then when I highlighted everything that had happened to me there. And that is why we were here in the first place.

But if we are asking an institution to look at itself then we should recognise when it begins to show it is genuinely sorry and attempts to start putting things right. Yorkshire need to be supported and helped to move in that right direction.

They do seem willing to do the right thing now. Hopefully their actions under new chair Lord Patel have shown that. They have given me a little bit of hope ahead of the report from that day in parliament in front of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, due to be released shortly.

Much has happened since then and I must thank Julian Knight, chair of the DCMS select committee, for giving me that platform to tell everyone what had gone on. I never expected things to go as far as that.

I should also acknowledge the work of Leeds MP Alex Sobel, Nav Mishra who raised the issue in the House of Commons, and Baroness Morgan, the former Culture Secretary.

I knew things would be thrown at me afterwards and I have always said I am not perfect and I have made mistakes of my own. I bitterly regret making the anti-Semitic comments that emerged from when I was younger, for instance, and I am trying to learn from those mistakes. The Jewish community have been so kind to me.

But I’m not interested in mud-slinging. This is not just about me or any individual caught up in it. There is a much bigger picture. Lord Patel was honest with me when I first met him after the inquiry. He told me it might take months to sort things out and I feel he has always tried to do the right thing.

The right thing includes appointing Darren Gough as director of cricket. It’s no secret we are friends since he was one of my first captains and we have always stayed in touch. I’m encouraged by his involvement, not least because the game needs people like him back directly involved. Goughie will get things done.

It just seems outside the county everyone wants to throw the book at Yorkshire and my concern is some want to do that in order to make themselves look better or deflect attention away from their issues. I don’t agree with that because it will not drive change.

My message to any county who believe they can ignore this as Yorkshire’s problem and push for greater sanctions towards them is to look at the figures. There have been more than 4,000 complaints to the ECB since they set up their commission to look into racism in English cricket, and 50 to Yorkshire’s own hotline.

That means there are thousands of cases outside Yorkshire and what is happening to them today could easily happen to another county tomorrow.

The last thing I want now are kids in Leeds, Bradford and throughout the county being denied the high-level cricket that could inspire them. Rather than help solve the problems in the game, Yorkshire’s international suspension could end up adding to them.

I am not saying everything is now hunky-dory at my old county and we can all move on. Yorkshire must be kept under review to make sure this really is the start of something important and meaningful. Everything is not fine yet, not by a long way.

But let’s do this properly. I have never wanted this to be a case of punishing individuals for their mistakes while avoiding the bigger picture. I have never wanted to make scapegoats of people while the real guilty parties remain unpunished.

For instance, Matthew Hoggard rang me the morning after my first media interview about what happened to me when nobody expected this whole thing to go anywhere. So many just thought it would all just go away.

We talked about what had happened in the Yorkshire dressing room and Hoggy felt he should apologise for his involvement in it. I can’t thank him enough for that. That’s all I wanted: for people to recognise that what went on was unacceptable and everyone involved needed to look at what they could have done to put it right.

So I hope Hoggy for one has not been affected because it seems to me only people who are apologising are being held accountable. He was courageous while others have looked the other way.

It is the same with David Lloyd. The minute I stepped out of that DCMS inquiry — where Bumble’s name had come up in questioning — I found messages from him on my phone asking if he could get in touch. We spoke that day, I told Bumble how I felt, he accepted he had made a mistake and apologised and we moved on.

So I really hope his departure from Sky had nothing to do with me because it was not my intention for him to lose his job or for Hoggy to lose work.

That is not change. It just looks like a case of someone throwing the book at them to make themselves look good. It’s not fair and it doesn’t sit well with me at all.

Change is coming and I’m hopeful and encouraged. We need to show a bit of love and compassion now. We need to all work together. That is the only way we will create an environment that is genuinely welcoming for everyone.

I don’t want Yorkshire to disappear from that environment. At first in all this I believed international cricket should be taken away from them. But they have done enough to warrant getting it back, for now at least.

I want to see England playing at Headingley this summer. I may even pop down to watch myself.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...nge-Headingley-host-internationals-again.html
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Gary Ballance could have been in line for an England recall if all of this hadn't happened.

Today Azeem Rafiq pounced on an innocent statement by Ryan Sidebottom and forced him to make an apology.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...tom-apologises-discussing-racism-scandal.html
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I remember England debuting Gary Ballance in the 5th SCG Ashes test in Australia in their dismal 0-5 whitewash back in 2013/14 (the Mitchell Johnson series where Andy Flower's team fell off a cliff).

He never made much of his career in the years since. If they were planning to go back to him over 7 years on, speaks volumes of their lack of depth in the batting ranks.
 
Varun said:
He never made much of his career in the years since. If they were planning to go back to him over 7 years on, speaks volumes of their lack of depth in the batting ranks.
Click to expand...

Bear in mind this is just speculative — although I could be corrected on this one, there is no formal indication I am aware of that Ballance was ever back in the ECB’s plans.
 
Varun said:
I remember England debuting Gary Ballance in the 5th SCG Ashes test in Australia in their dismal 0-5 whitewash back in 2013/14 (the Mitchell Johnson series where Andy Flower's team fell off a cliff).

He never made much of his career in the years since. If they were planning to go back to him over 7 years on, speaks volumes of their lack of depth in the batting ranks.
Click to expand...

31 years old, county captain with decent FC stats and not too bad a test career.

I think he would have been in the frame. Not a front runner for sure, but his name could would have been mentioned IMO.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
31 years old, county captain with decent FC stats and not too bad a test career.

I think he would have been in the frame. Not a front runner for sure, but his name could would have been mentioned IMO.
Click to expand...

The only people who would've suggested him would've been those heavily biased. The guy has a significant flaw in his technique that is easily exploitable at international level and been open about the fact that he won't make changes to try and improve on it. He's got no chance of a recall on the basis of that.
 
Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel says he is "very confident" the club's ban from hosting England games will be lifted by this summer and warns it will be a "huge financial crisis" if it is not.

Headingley lost its international status in November over the club's handling of racism allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Rafiq has said the ban should be lifted for the progress made under Lord Patel.

"Regaining international status is absolutely crucial," said Lord Patel.

"Everything rests on it in terms of our future."

Lord Patel took over as chairman in November after Roger Hutton resigned amid widespread criticism of Yorkshire's handling of Rafiq's case.

Rafiq told a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee that racist language was "constantly" used during his time at Yorkshire and English cricket was "institutionally racist".

Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Lord Patel said his main focus, besides dealing with issues raised by Rafiq, was "making sure international matches are returned here as soon as possible".

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has asked Yorkshire to meet certain conditions by early spring.

"Myself and a number of people here are working 24/7 to meet the criteria we've been set and I'm very confident we will meet it and I hope way beyond that as well," said Lord Patel.

"It was right for the ECB to sanction us and we need to prove to everybody that we're delivering, we're changing and we will get there."

Headingley was due to host England's third Test against New Zealand on 23 June and their third one-day international against South Africa on 24 July.

Lord Patel said there was "no other option" than to be "more than hopeful" and be "very confident" that Headingley would regain the right to host those games.

He said if they failed to overturn the suspension, "hundreds of thousands of people who love cricket" would be "deprived" of the chance to watch England.

He added: "There is no question it would be a huge financial crisis."

An ECB investigation into allegations made by Rafiq and others, and Yorkshire's handling of the case, is ongoing.

However, a decision on this summer's major matches will be made before the investigation is concluded in order to aid logistics and give clarity to ticket-holders.

Lord Patel said he was "heartened" to see Rafiq call for the ban to be lifted and that the former player was "very clear" about the changes he wanted to see.

Yorkshire expecting 'painful' report into Rafiq case

Emotional Rafiq tells MPs about racism at Yorkshire
The DCMS report into Rafiq's case is set to be released on Friday and Lord Patel said he anticipates it will be "painful" for the club.

"If it wasn't I'd be astonished because what happened here was unforgivable and unacceptable," he said.

"I'm looking forward. I'm very hopeful about where we are now."

Lord Patel said he was "physically tired" but also "really energised" because he did not believe the club would have "come so far" in his two months as chairman.

"We've had incredible change. I've taken the club, turned it upside down and given it a good shake - there's been no stone left unturned," he said.

In December, 16 members of staff, including director of cricket Martyn Moxon and first-team coach Andrew Gale, were sacked.

Former Yorkshire and England pace bowler Darren Gough has been appointed director of cricket until the end of the 2022 season, while former England bowlers Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison have joined the coaching staff on an interim basis.

Lord Patel said it was "very difficult on a human level" to have such a big overhaul of staff but that he "fundamentally believes it was the right decision".

"We needed to move forward and create a culture that was open, that was transparent, that people could come forward and feel comfortable in," he said.

He added some of the playing staff had been understandably "anxious" about such a "seismic change" but by engaging with them he felt he had helped people "move forward" and there was a "sense of excitement" about the future.

Sidebottom has apologised for a "poor choice of words" when saying Yorkshire should "try and forget about" the racism scandal in an interview on Sky Sports.

"We're going to have mis-steps on the way - this is not going to be perfect," said Lord Patel.

"But the fact he apologised, he understood, he learned, he spoke to Azeem - that's what's important now, it's got to be a learning environment and culture."

Lord Patel added that Gough showed a "real willingness" in saying he had been through the Yorkshire system but that it "wasn't right and things need to change".

"The players have taken to him as well and so have members of the public, sponsors - it's been really good," he said.

Lord Patel said Yorkshire's whistleblower hotline, set up in the wake of Rafiq's testimony, had received 50 responses that were being independently investigated.

He added that the ECB's own hotline had received 4,000 complaints.

"Clearly this is not just a Yorkshire problem, this is a cricket-wide problem," he said.

"Azeem Rafiqs only come once in a lifetime and we have to use that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really make a difference."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/59964176
 
Azeem Rafiq’s statement on the Racism in Cricket report by the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) committee

Azeem Rafiq said:

“The DCMS committee has listened and taken sensible action. It is absolutely brilliant that the Julian Knight and his colleagues on the committee are going to hold the ECB to account every quarter. This shows just how seriously politicians are taking an issue that too many people in cricket ignored for so long. The committee understands how important it is to clean-up the game.

“The additional hearing proposed, in which the ECB and Yorkshire Country Cricket Club will be required to give evidence on their progress, is also good news. They need to be given the chance to do the right thing and I’m encouraged by Lord Patel’s work since he was appointed chair at YCCC.

“I’m glad that MPs will monitor any progress, so that the reforms needed to make the sport inclusive to all youngsters can happen soon.”
 
Barry O’Brien, Interim ECB Chair, commented: “We welcome the committee’s recommendations and the focus of Julian Knight and committee members on achieving real change.

“We also embrace the ongoing scrutiny of the committee and all those that love the game of cricket who will be watching closely as we undertake the continuous, demonstrable, progress in eradicating racism from the dressing room and from the stands. We are determined to root out racism – and other forms of discrimination - from our sport.

“We look forward to updating the committee on the progress the whole game is making in delivering the 12-point Action Plan agreed in November to bring about the meaningful change we all want to see. We agree that sharing regular, public updates on our progress is important to rebuilding trust in our sport.

“We had already taken important steps to make cricket more inclusive in recent years - including our 2018 South Asian Action Plan, our 2019 Inspiring Generations strategy to make cricket a game for everyone, and launching the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket in early 2021 – however, we recognise that more needs to be done. We are deeply sorry for the pain people have suffered and recognise the courage it has taken to speak out. By working with the game to deliver the Action Plan, and continuing to listen and learn from people’s experiences, we are determined to make cricket a stronger, more welcoming sport.”
 
Got to admire Azeem’s resilience with staying the course on this. He could truly be a catalyst for positive change in the English game.
 
Yorkshire County Cricket Club has committed to provide updates on the operation of the independent Whistleblowing Hotline which was set up in November 2021.

Since inception, as of today (14 January 2022), the Club has received 45 contacts which fall within the Terms of Reference of the investigation. 42 of these contacts have been or are shortly to be invited for interview by Mohinderpal Sethi QC and his team at Littleton Chambers, who are running the investigation, and further information has been sought where considered necessary.

Following this initial stage, further investigations will be made and, if required and where possible, further witnesses will be sought to inform the enquiry.

The Club has also received 24 contacts which fall outside the Terms of Reference:

9 discrimination complaints that do not apply to Yorkshire County Cricket Club. These complainants have, wherever possible, been given advice as to where their complaint should be directed;

15 other contacts including statements of opinion as well as sales and marketing pitches.
 
Ottis Gibson, Younis Khan and Allan Donald have reportedly been identified as the front-runners to form Yorkshire 's brand-new coaching team.

The county sacked their entire staff back in December in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, with previous head coach Andrew Gale already suspended pending an investigation into a historic anti-semitic tweet.

Gibson recently decided not to renew his contract as Bangladesh's fast-bowling coach and, according to a report from the Telegraph, he is 'likely' to be named as Yorkshire's new head coach.

The 52-year-old has considerable coaching pedigree, having been head coach of South Africa and the West Indies and enjoyed two stints as England bowling coach.

The report adds that former Pakistan batter Khan and ex-South Africa quick Donald could join Gibson as part of a star-studded coaching set-up.

Khan, who spent the 2007 season as Yorkshire's overseas player, left his role as Pakistan's batting coach in June and would bring a wealth of experience.

Donald, meanwhile, has previously coached Warwickshire and Kent and was recently named head coach of the Knights franchise in his native South Africa.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/yorkshire-racism-gibson-khan-donald-25981733
 
On Saturday 22 January, Yorkshire County Cricket Club hosted a Members’ Forum at Headingley, attended by over 300 Members of the Club.

The Forum provided Members with an opportunity to hear from the Club following recent events, as well as from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and included a full Q&A session.

The topics discussed included the future direction of the Club, the upcoming ECB Board meeting, proposed changes to Club rules at the upcoming EGM, the Pathways system, recent management changes, hiring updates and the 2022 season.

Attending from Yorkshire County Cricket Club were Lord Patel of Bradford (Chair), Paul Hudson (Acting CEO) and interim Managing Director of Yorkshire Cricket, Darren Gough. On behalf of the ECB, Barry O’Brien, interim Chair, and Martin Darlow, Non-Executive Director, attended.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:

“It was fantastic to meet with Members after a period of such pronounced change at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Members are integral to this Club and they posed important and direct questions about some of the substantial changes we have made over the past months as part of the wider dialogue about our future.

“I welcome the support expressed by Members for the changes we are introducing and their commitment to holding this club to account.

The discussions were positive and constructive: I was particularly pleased by the overwhelming reception for our appointment of Ottis Gibson as Head Coach, as well as our pioneering partnership with the Lahore Qalandars, which will be integral to our strategy to help make Yorkshire County Cricket Club welcoming and accessible to people from all backgrounds”.
 
English cricket facing sponsor backlash over latest racism controversy

English cricket is facing losing more major sponsors following its leaders’ car-crash performance at a parliamentary hearing into its racism scandal.

The England & Wales Cricket Board and Middlesex County Cricket Club were dealt stern rebukes by some of their biggest commercial partners after being plunged into turmoil over their inquisition by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee.

Tuesday’s hearing saw Mike O’Farrell, the chairman of Middlesex, provoke outrage by claiming black people preferred football and rugby to cricket and that Asians prioritised academia.

It also laid bare explosive allegations one of only two non-white chairs of a first-class county quit after being left “traumatised” following attempts to coerce her into endorsing the game’s response to its racism scandal.

The game’s racism scandal had already cost Yorkshire – the club which triggered the crisis – a raft of commercial backers, with yesterday seeing more of those to bankroll the game threatening to follow suit.

They included Middlesex sponsor Yellow Tail, part of the Casella Family Brands wine company, which said: “Casella Family Brands does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and yesterday’s events and the outcomes of the DCMS hearing were very disappointing. We are having discussions with Middlesex and will be reviewing our position over the next few days.”

Property giant Knight Frank added: “We maintain a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and remain in close communication with Middlesex Cricket Club regarding these events.”

Brookes Macdonald, the investment management firm, also said it was “disappointed by the comments made by the chairman of Middlesex County Cricket Club”.

The ECB faced similar warnings over allegations Mehmooda Duke had quit as Leicestershire chair after feeling “intimidated”, “coerced” and “manoeuvred” into endorsing its response to the game’s racism scandal.

Online trading provider IG said: “We have been saddened and concerned by some of the issues that have come to light as a result of the ongoing Racism in Cricket parliamentary inquiry. We are in close contact with the ECB to understand what action they will take to address the shortcomings identified.”


Clive Efford MP: 'A damage limitation is just not enough'
Major doubt was cast on that happening by Clive Efford MP, a leading member of the DCMS select committee and former shadow sports minister.

“Do I think that the ECB is capable of properly addressing this issue? I haven’t seen any evidence yet that it is,” he told The Telegraph. “What we’re seeing is a damage-limitation operation and that’s just not good enough.”

Efford also called for O’Farrell to follow in the footsteps of Greg Clarke, who resigned as chairman of the Football Association after making similar comments at a select committee hearing just over a year ago.

“There comes a time in everyone’s career when it’s time to move on,” he said.

As of Wednesday evening, O’Farrell was said to retain the backing of the Middlesex board, members of which had no immediate plans to convene over comments for which he later apologised profusely.

One figure at the club told The Telegraph, O’Farrell had not intended to imply black and Asian youngsters were to blame for being under-represented within the professional game.

That view was endorsed by board member Edward Lord, who is also co-chair of the club’s Diversity & Inclusion committee.

He told The Telegraph: “Mike has been hugely supportive of diversity and inclusion initiatives within the club and I know from his personal background and commitment to making people feel welcome in cricket that what he said at the DCMS select committee was an error rather than his own misguided view.”

One source said O’Farrell, who turned 80 last year, was expected to retire within the next year or so, with the club having appointed Eddie Villiers – the brother of former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers – as deputy chair this month in anticipation.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertain...t-racism-controversy/ar-AATaPMp?ocid=msedgntp
 
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