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Yorkshire faces anger from high-level political figures as they dealt with Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism at Headingley, and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee questions the club’s chairman and health minister, Sajid Javid, calling for a “head to be spun”.
Javid, the son of Pakistani immigrants, belonged to a group of MPs who were angry a report on Monday from ESPNCricinfo who revealed the club’s investigation into the matter – previously published only as a summary of the findings in September – had concluded that one of the senior players still in the club repeatedly used the word “Paki” against Rafiqi, “in the spirit of” friendly joke “.
On Tuesday, Javid tweeted: “‘Paki” is no joke. The head should spin at the Yorkshire CCC. If [the England and Wales Cricket Board] does not take action, it is not fit for purpose. “
Sayeeda Warsi, a peer and former Conservative chairman from the county, added: “‘Paki’ is no joke. Too many of us in too many walks of life have heard ‘defending the bag’ for too long as an excuse for racism. My company and others have supported @YorkshireCCC: for years to come – you must stop malice and arrogance and take responsibility for this. “
Last year, Rafiq released allegations of racism he experienced in two clubs between 2008 and 2018, and Yorkshire responded by launching an investigation led by law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
A summary of the final report was published eight weeks ago, confirming seven of Rafiq’s 43 allegations – including a confirmation that he was a “victim of racial harassment and bullying” – and led to the club’s unreserved apology.
Among the findings was Yorkshire’s acknowledgment that it had failed to escalate Rafiq’s allegations properly when the English captain under the age of 19 first raised them privately in 2018. But last week the club said it was “delighted” to report that this internal case no disciplinary action will be taken against any current player or staff member.
After a long misrepresentation, Yorkshire sent an unedited copy of its report to the ECB last Thursday, and the governing body has now commissioned its own regulatory and integrity groups to examine the findings.
The ECB said on Tuesday: “We are aware of how long Azeem has been waiting for a solution and how much the well-being of him and his family will be undermined. We are sorry that, as a sport, this has not yet been resolved.
“We will conduct a full regulatory process that is fair to all parties, but we will also ensure that this happens as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we have secured quality control services and other external investigative support to increase resources in our process. “
In addition to the ECB’s inquiry, it was confirmed on Tuesday that Roger Hutton has been summoned to answer questions from the DCMS committee, and top management will also be called to testify. Covered by Parliament’s prerogative, this could lead to more revelations becoming public.
Julian Knight, Solihull MP and chairman of the DCMS committee, said: “We are very concerned about recent reports of a lack of action against individuals following the findings. It is clear that the Yorkshire County Cricket Club has questions.
“We have been following developments in dealing with the serious allegations made by the club Azeem Rafiq. We want to see much greater transparency from the YCCC – it is time for them to respond to their critics. We are going to call the club chairman in front of the DCMS
Knight later tweeted, “Given the endemic racism at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, I have a hard time coming up with any reason why the government should stay in office. This is one of the most disgusting and disruptive episodes in modern cricket history.
In addition to pressure from MPs and the ECB, Anchor Butter, whose logo was on the first team’s shirt during this year’s Royal London Cup, confirmed that the partnership will not be renewed. The company tweeted: “There is never a place or an excuse for racism. We no longer have activities in support of the YCCC.” Its logo was later removed from the YCCC website. The Emerald Publishing Group – one of Yorkshire’s main sponsors with title rights in Headingley – has also said it will review the partnership once the ECB’s new inquiry is completed.
and the ongoing labor court case between Rafiq and his former club.
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Sources 2/ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/pressure-grows-yorkshire-cricket-report-azeem-rafiq-roger-hutton The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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