Azeem Rafiq accuses the ECB of denying racism in cricket | locust

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Azeem Rafiq accused the ECB of having actively tried to discredit him, during a hearing of the select committee of digital, culture, media and sport deputies during which the governing body was lambasted for several times for his lack of action against discrimination and his lack of support. for cultural change.

A week after the England and Wales Cricket Board released three separate reports in a bid to demonstrate the steps they have taken to tackle discrimination in cricket, the hearing will have made Lords extremely embarrassing viewing.

Rafiq, whose best-selling testimony about his experience of racism as a Yorkshire player before the same committee last November drew massive attention to the issue, returned to deliver a withering assessment of the response, praising the ECB only for providing him with the 24 hour security he now needs due to the abuse and intimidation he and his family have suffered.

Thirteen months after I opened my heart, all that really changed was that my family and I were driven out of the country, Rafiq said.

I spoke to make cricket a better place. Thirteen months later, I loved coming to tell you how much that has changed. But what one feels is that cricket is very much in denial. There’s a group of people who almost feel like the crickets are the victim of it all. I felt there was no chance to discredit my experiences, even the ECB tried to do that.

Other witnesses included Jahid Ahmed, who spoke publicly about his experiences at Essex shortly after Rafiq’s appearance last year. He said: I don’t think much has changed. It’s been over a year since I spoke out and I haven’t received any support from anyone. I have had no support from the ECB so far.

Kamlesh Patel, who was appointed chairman of Yorkshire last November as the county struggled to rebuild its reputation and renew its practices after Rafiq’s testimony, said of the ECB: Whenever there is a problem, whenever people needed to stand up and support me, they didn’t. I asked in writing, email after email, letter after letter, saying: You asked me to do this, please support me. And I have had no response to any of these letters or emails.

The past year has been marked by changes at the ECB, with Tom Harrison stepping down as chief executive in June and Richard Thompson being appointed chairman in August. I have hope in the new direction, Rafiq said, but it’s very little at the moment.

Asked if he had received enough support from the governing body, Lord Patel said: I look forward to the new leadership but over the past 12 months the answer has to be no . Because of the positions I’ve had, people think: He can handle it. People in the public eye, we get criticism. This is what we expect. But it’s relentless and it’s in an area where you wouldn’t expect it. It’s sport, it’s something we love, which brings people together. And this group of people, I don’t think they understand. I don’t think the ECB has understood this. They react to headlines, it’s not systematic.

Patel described the ECB’s Cricket Disciplinary Committee, which is investigating the charges against Yorkshire and a number of individuals, as completely flawed and called for the appointment of an independent regulator and the establishment of a formal code of conduct. Rafiq said the imminent publication of a report by the Independent Commission for Fairness in Cricket, a body set up by the ECB in March 2021, would be a pivotal moment for the game.

In a statement, the ECB insisted that significant progress had been made since Rafiq’s first appearance before the DCMS committee. He said he applauded the bravery of those, including Azeem and Jahid Ahmed, who spoke about their experiences, and that they both welcome the change Lord Patel is leading in Yorkshire and are appalled at the level of abuse racists he received and recognize the pain it caused him.

The ICEC report would, he said, help drive the lasting change we need and rebuild trust between communities to show people that cricket can be their game.

Patel and Rafiq both criticized Yorkshire Post reporting for stoking controversy and encouraging racism. George Dobell, the Cricketer’s chief correspondent and another witness, described the newspaper as the voice of the racist and their cricket correspondent Chris Waters, who dismissed his critics as woke anti-racists, as out of his depth.

In a statement, James Mitchinson, the newspaper’s editor, dismissed the charges. The Yorkshire Post has repeatedly acknowledged the racism suffered by Mr Rafiq and we have been scrupulously objective, impartial and professional in our reporting on the story, he said.

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