Yorkshire and England star Matthew Hoggard claims life was 'ruined' by Azeem Rafiq racism scandal

Hoggard was one of five Yorkshire players who were sanctioned, despite denying the allegations, while former England batter Gary Ballance admitted the charges against him. Ashes icon Michael Vaughan was cleared after defending himself in the case.

Rafiq, the former Yorkshire youth captain, first spoke out in 2020 about racial discrimination he suffered across two stints with the county.

He gave evidence to MPs that the word ‘p***’ was “used constantly” during his two spells at the county club and no one in leadership challenged it.

The previous Yorkshire chairman, Roger Hutton, resigned and “apologised unreservedly” after an investigation found Rafiq was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying”.

Rafiq’s complaints concerned his second stint at the club – after Hoggard had left – but he also alleged Hoggard was part of a ‘racist’ dressing room culture in his first stint.

Hoggard admitted some things were said in the dressing room at the time but added: “The way the ECB handled it, I thought was absolutely disgusting. Looking back on that changing room, there was nothing wrong with it.

“I was put under a bit of pressure from the PCA (Professional Cricketers’ Association) and the ECB to issue an apology. I went ‘No’, because if I apologise, I admit that what happened in the changing room was wrong. I was adamant that what happened in that changing room wasn’t bullying.”

In an interview with the Telegraph, Hoggard said he was beginning to build a career in cooking but said his business also took a hit after he was “cancelled massively”.

He said: “It ruined me and my family for a year, maybe longer.

“We had so many deals lined up – as soon as that hit the fan, then it was ‘no, no we can’t work with you,’ and I got cancelled massively.

“I didn’t want to leave the house. Gradually I came out, because people said to me behind closed doors they didn’t believe a word of it but they couldn’t say that in public.”

Hoggard also said the Rafiq claims made his wife, Sarah, feel suicidal.

“I knew how the defibrillator worked in the village, and where it was,” he said. “I knew what pills she had in case I came downstairs and she wasn’t… Yeah, it was horrible, absolutely horrible.”

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