English cricket has been rocked by a racism scandal that has exposed the game’s toxic environment within its setup. It started with allegations of bullying and racism made by former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq. Born in Karachi, Rafiq moved to England at the age of 10 and played most of his cricket at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Back in September last year, the former cricketer gave an interview to ESPN Cricinfo, where he accused the County of “institutional racism.” In the interview, Rafiq spoke of constant racial abuse and bullying at the Club, citing his race as the reason behind it. He revealed that it left him feeling suicidal.
Yorkshire eventually launched a formal investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations. The report, which was not made public in full, upheld seven of the forty-three allegations made by its former player, but faced severe criticism for ruling some of what Rafiq faced as “banter.”
Yorkshire County Cricket Club also came under fire for its terrible mishandling of the case and lack of intent in addressing the allegations. With members of Parliament also weighing in on the scandal, this was becoming impossible to ignore.
The Club clearly misjudged the severity of the scandal, perhaps hoping it would all blow over with time. But things spiralled out of control and the Club ended up losing several sponsors. The Club has also been suspended from hosting international or major games. The situation further escalated with Club Chairman Roger Hutton resigning and apologising “unreservedly” to Rafiq.
On the 16th of November, Azeem Rafiq appeared before the Digital Culture, Media and Sport select committee, to give evidence about his experiences at Yorkshire Cricket Club. His testimony was at times uncomfortable to listen to, with details of racial harassment he faced, as well as the lack of support he received from the Club after the death of his son. Rafiq spoke of feeling “isolated” and “humiliated” at the Club and even told MPs he believed he lost his career to racism and would not want his son “anywhere near the game.”
No one from Yorkshire County Cricket Club chose to appear before MPs, but former Chairman Hutton attended the Parliamentary Committee for tough questioning, where he told MPs he accepted that the club was “institutionally racist.” The ECB’s (England and Wales Cricket Board) Chief Executive Tom Harrison and other members of the board were also grilled by the panel.
The ECB has come under intense fire for its handling of the scandal. The board has been criticised for failing to intervene much earlier on, washing its hands off any responsibility, and leaving Yorkshire County to deal with it. Perhaps the ECB were also hoping to see the scandal die down by itself. Neither Yorkshire County Cricket Club nor the ECB would have imagined that the issue would reach a Parliamentary Committee.
This scandal has exposed a toxic culture withing the dressing room, and big names have come to light. Zimbabwean born Gary Ballance, Rafiq’s former teammate, was named in the report and since then has admitted to using racial slur against Rafiq, who Balance referred to as his “best mate in cricket.” In a statement, Ballance also said that he deeply regretted some of the language that he used when he was younger.
Sky sports commentator David Lloyd, popularly known as ‘Bumble,’ has also apologised after Rafiq claimed that Lloyd was part of a smear campaign, and that he made racist comments about the Asian cricket community. In an apology posted on social media, Lloyd said he deeply regretted those comments, and apologised sincerely to both Rafiq and the Asian community.
The biggest name to have found itself in the midst of this scandal is Michael Vaughan. Rafiq accused the former captain of making a racist comment to him and other Asian Players during a county match back in 2009. Vaughan has “categorically denied” the allegations, but Rafiq’s account was corroborated by England’s Adil Rashid and former Pakistani player Rana Naved -Ul -Hasan who was Yorkshire’s overseas player at the time.
Past tweets that were of offensive nature have not helped Vaughan’s cause either. In a recent interview given to the BBC, the former England captain has said he is sorry for the hurt suffered by Azeem Rafiq and regrets previous offensive tweets but denies making racist comments. Vaughan has been dropped from BBC’s coverage of the Ashes series but have said they “expect” to work with him again.
This scandal goes beyond Yorkshire County Cricket Club and with other players coming forward and with the details of Rafiq’s testimony, it is now clear that racism in English cricket is deep-seated. Two former players representing Essex have given accounts of what they faced. Jamaican born seam bowler Maurice Chambers said he was called a monkey, with one senior teammate offering him a banana, in a mocking manner. Another player, Zoheb Sharif, spoke of being nicknamed the “bomber,” as well as other offensive terms.
Although Rafiq has been a victim of racism, he himself has been guilty of making racist comments. Only a few days after his testimony, Azeem Rafiq issued an apology for anti-Semitic messages sent to another player on Facebook in 2011. Rafiq apologised unreservedly on his twitter account saying, “I have absolutely no excuses.” The comments made by Rafiq were unacceptable, and he like others, should be held to account. Being a victim of racism does not give one a free pass to be racist.
But Rafiq’s racist comments do not diminish the racism that he experienced, nor does it absolve English cricket of guilt. Rafiq can be condemned for his anti-Semitic comments without the issue of racism and bullying being derailed. Rafiq will naturally face intense scrutiny as a whistle-blower, but it is unfortunate to see some people and certain factions of the media use this to invalidate the cause.
The crisis that English cricket has found itself in has led to calls for major change, and some things have already been set into motion. The ECB’s Chief Executive Tom Harrison has said that Rafiq’s testimony will accelerate change. A 12-point action plan aiming to tackle discrimination within the sport and increase diversity.
These are encouraging steps form the ECB, with the burden of responsibility resting on the board to set things right. The game should be inclusive and welcoming for individuals of all backgrounds, who should never have to face alienation or humiliation while playing the sport they love.
As for Yorkshire, Lord Patel was appointed as chair of the club, who praised Rafiq as a “whistle-blower,” and has vowed to take much needed steps in response to the crisis at the club, which includes a hotline for other whistle-blowers to come forward. The club also settled Rafiq’s employment tribunal with financial compensation. Steering Yorkshire County Cricket out of this crisis will be a major task for all involved. Its image has taken a serious blow and the club has to work hard to earn the trust of the Asian cricket community, especially those that aspire to play for the club. So far Lord Patel, with his vast experience, has shown the right intent.
Head coach Andrew Gale has been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing over a tweet in which used an anti-Semitic slur. Martyn Moxon, director of cricket, has been signed off with a stress – related illness. But Azeem Rafiq has said he does not believe it is possible to move forward with these two still in charge.
All changes made within English cricket have to be sincere and not cosmetic. There needs to be a thorough clean up from top to bottom and it has to be transparent. This is not just about players, but everyone involved within the game. Whether it is the culture within the dressing room or board room meetings, the environment has to change so that all players can reach their full potential. And this should not be about ending careers.
Yes, hold people to account for their actions. But the main objective of this cause is to make the game toxic free and welcoming for everyone, so they can enjoy the sport and thrive. Players that own up to their mistakes and show a genuine willingness to evolve, should be given a second chance. Cleansing the sport of bullying and racist bigotry should be everyone’s fight, irrespective of their race or background.
