Racism in cricket (Yorkshire)

EMMANUEL DEBORAH

Yorkshire county cricket club is facing widespread condemnation, after it’s 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 Pakistan heritage being called the p- word. Their have been several cases of racism in England, Britain and America, but among all, this particular case of racism in cricket has taken a new face.
Azeem Rafiq started his career at the age of 17, in 2008 he was giving his debut in a T20 match against Nottinghamshire. In 2021 Rafiq became Yorkshire’s youngest ever captain and their first of Asian origin, going unbeaten as skipped during the six T20 match for which he stood in for the injured Andrew Gale, However, a series of knee injuries disrupted his progress, and by 2014 Yorkshire had allowed Rafiq to train with other countries, but this did little to reinvigorate his career. In 2016 he contributed to a campaign that saw the team reach the T20 finals Day and compete for the country championship title, more impressive performance followed in 2017, but he was deemed surplus to requirements in 2018 and his association with the country was formally ended.
Despite all the victories brought to the club by Rafiq he was still maltreated, bullied, and brutally beaten most of the time, and no body stood up for him.
In November Azeem Rafiq gave an emotional and touching testimony to the Digital, culture, media and sport(DCMS) select committee about the racist abuse he faced during two stints at Yorkshire beginning in 2008 and ending in 2018. September 2020 Rafiq reveals how he almost committed suicide. He shared further details: “At my worst, I was right in the edge, I stood on my balcony. I would regularly come home from training and cry all day, it was a very difficult time for me”. He continued “we would be on night out, I’d be speaking to someone and I’d have team-mates coming over and saying,: Don’t speak to him, he’s a p-word” after hearing that I’ll feel so sad and isolated.
In December 2020 Raifq filled a legal claim against the country under the equality act, claiming he suffered” direct discrimination and harassment on the ground of race, as well as victimization and detriment as a result of his efforts to address racism as the club.
The club was to protective of it’s reputation, so it’s failed to discipline it staffs and players, instead it’s claimed that it was “inconceivable” that there was no one still at the club who had been involved in the events investigated. The club continued to manipulate the case until the ECB release a statement saying that it would be investigating findings of the report. As the investigation went on the truth was uncovered, and the whole act of racism by the staff and senior players where brought to the light for everyone to see.
With the truth been unfolded the club was criticized for it’s response, and a number of it’s sponsors withdraw their financial support. On 4 November 2021, The ECB suspended the club from hosting international matches. And as a result of increasing criticism, Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton resigned in early November 2021, this was followed by the resignation of chief executive officer Mark Arthur, whom Rafiq had been critical of, on 11 November.
On 14 of January 2022 the parliament asked the government to limit public funding for cricket unless there is ” continuous, demonstrated progress” on eradicating deep-seated racism.
So far so good their hadn’t been any improvement on this issue. Now I would question very closely the position of the graves trust within Yorkshire, or whether or not it should continue to have the influence and power that it does.