Azeem Rafiq lays bare racism claim against Yorkshire CCC

In a press release yesterday, the former Yorkshire and England U19 captain revealed the contents of the statement that he has given to the panel, which was set up after he alleged in September that he was driven to the brink of suicide by the racism he experienced while playing for the club between 2008 and 2018.

Yorkshire, who have kept their counsel on the specific allegations, responded with a statement reiterating that they take Rafiq’s claims “very seriously” and insisting that “racism has no place in our society or in cricket”.

It is hoped that the investigation, run by Leeds-based law firm Squire Patton Boggs and conducted by a panel that features prominent members of the British-Asian community, will announce its findings by year’s end.

Rafiq gave his side of the story to investigators yesterday, having initially objected to two of the four people on the panel, which now numbers five. The 29-year-old claimed that Gulfraz Riaz, chair of the National Asian Cricket Council, and Hanif Malik, chair of Yorkshire CCC’s equality and diversity committee, did not sufficiently address his concerns when he approached them previously.

In the press release, which included an appeal to publicise Rafiq’s Crowd Justice web page to help fund legal costs, he again raised concerns about “witness anonymity”, claiming that potential allies have reservations about speaking out. His lawyer, Asma Iqbal, of Chadwick Lawrence LLP in Leeds, said that “it remains to be seen” how the investigation progresses.

The panel is chaired by eminent surgeon Dr Samir Pathak and is expected to interview a number of people, including players past and present.

Rafiq, who said that he was inspired and encouraged to take action by the Black Lives Matter movement and doesn’t “want kids to go through what I did”, told the panel that he was “bullied and targeted because of my race”.

He alleged “differential treatment” of himself and his Asian team-mates, citing a lack of pastoral care from the club when his son was still-born.

Rafiq flagged concerns about the development pathways and support for young Asians at Yorkshire, and referred to an email which he claimed stated: “Only a few Pakis are okay to go through. We cannot have too many of them.” He also complained of a “drinking culture” at the club in which he felt pressured to take part despite being a Muslim, and cited what he said were racist remarks from Yorkshire’s supporters and incidents of alcohol being thrown at games, including on Asian fans, which he said were not properly investigated.

Rafiq added that he was “singled out specifically because I was Asian” and estimated there were only 60 days when he enjoyed playing for Yorkshire. He said the club “wanted the supporters to think that it was my performance and budget issues that had led to my release”, but that he was “forced to leave, given the circumstances that made my progression impossible”.

“I could do nothing about my fate,” he went on. “It was in the hands of those that had decided I had no future with the club….their decision-making bias was because my face did not fit because of my race.

“We owe it to our next generation and to cricket that talent is not ignored simply on the basis of institutional racism.”

Yorkshire’s statement read: “We have taken the claims made by our former player, Azeem Rafiq, very seriously and a full investigation conducted by Squire Patton Boggs, an independent law firm, began in September.

“Mr Rafiq’s written statement was made available last week and he will give further verbal evidence today (Friday). These statements will then be made available to the club to provide a response to as part of the next phase of the process. We realise that this is a difficult time for all parties involved but it is important that these matters are investigated thoroughly and swiftly.

“In addition, and recognising that this process is as much about the future as it is the past, we have convened an independent panel to support the investigation and to publish recommendations on steps the club may need to take as a result of the investigation’s findings. Chaired by Dr Samir Pathak, surgeon and trustee of the MCC Foundation, the panel includes Mesba Ahmed, vice chairman of the National Asian Cricket Council, employment barrister, Rehana Azib, former Waitrose personnel director Helen Hyde and Stephen Willis, CFO of Durham University and the senior independent director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

“Racism has no place in our society or in cricket and we are hopeful that the outcome and the recommendations of the panel will drive positive progress which can be shared by all.”

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