Yorkshire County Cricket Club has announced that it will not take any disciplinary action against staff or players even though it has accepted that former player Azeem Rafiq was the victim of racial harassment during his first spell at the club between 2008 and 2014.
Last month an investigation concluded that Rafiq was racially abused by former players and a coach who have not been named. Jokes were also made about Islam, the report said, and Muslims should have been made to feel more welcome in the stadium.
But a statement by YCCC yesterday said: “The club has also carried out their own internal investigation following the findings in the report after which they are able to report that they have come to the conclusion that there is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrant disciplinary action…
“It was important for Azeem to raise the issues and without him doing so we would not have the panel’s recommendations which are an important part of the club’s continuing journey.”
The statement added that club chairman Roger Hutton “believes the club and everyone connected to it should be proud of the work that the club has done to improve diversity and inclusion prior to his involvement, but equally acknowledges there remains much to be done going forward.”
Reacting to the statement, Azeem Rafiq tweeted: “Wow just when you think this club couldn’t get more embarrassing you find a way. Still awaiting the full report. Thanks for mentioning the people that have provided your PROTECTION and given green light to RACISM. Interesting timing again.”
A spokesperson for Rafiq said: “We note the statement released by Yorkshire County Cricket Club today. As ever, we will take time to fully respond. However, we do also note that the club has come to the conclusion that no employees, players, or executives will face disciplinary action.
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“This is despite Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s admission that Azeem was the victim of racial harassment and bullying. This is despite Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s admission that it failed to follow its own policy and investigate allegations of racism as recently as 2018.
“It is inconceivable that there are no current employees who should not have been disciplined for their conduct. Yorkshire’s failures continue to mount up and it is time that board members, for once, do the decent thing and resign.”
Rafiq, a player of Pakistani descent moved to England at the age of 10, was the former captain of the England Under-19 team.
Last year he said he was suicidal because of the treatment at the club. Speaking to the Sky News he said: “At my worst, I was right on the edge, stood on my balcony. I would regularly come home from training or nights out with the team and cry. It was a very difficult time for me.”
He added: “In one of my first few games, we were going onto the field and there was me, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad, and Rana Naved and one of the senior players said, ‘There’s too many of you lot, it’s something we need to have a word about.”
“We would be on nights out, I would be speaking to someone and I’d have teammates coming over and saying, ‘Don’t speak to him he’s a p**I”, he said.
“Racism in cricket is deep-rooted. There were constant social events where I’d leave crying. Sometimes these things get disguised as banter but it’s always stuck with me,” he added.
