Witch-hunt has killed my career, blasts sacked Yorkshire coach
Gale fury at Rafiq and ECB over charges
FORmER Yorkshire coach and captain Andrew Gale has announced he will not attend an ECB disciplinary hearing into alleged racism at Headingley and accused the governing body of orchestrating a ‘witch-hunt’ that destroyed his career.
In an emotional statement released to Sportsmail, Gale launched a devastating attack on the ECB, Yorkshire and mP Julian Knight for their handling of the Azeem Rafiq racism affair, which he claimed has left him with no faith that he will receive a fair hearing at lord’s.
Gale’s extraordinary 3,500-word statement is his first public comment since he was accused of racist abuse and bullying by Rafiq at a Digital, Culture, media and Sport Select Committee hearing chaired by Knight in november, which led to him being sacked by Yorkshire the following month and charged by the ECB a fortnight ago.
The 38-year-old has always denied those claims and after keeping his own counsel for seven months has finally hit back and outlined his reasons for refusing to participate.
‘I am today informing the ECB that I will not be attending the disciplinary hearing as I have no faith in that process,’ said Gale. ‘The ECB governs an industry from which I have been ousted and which has turned its back on me. I will not be attending any hearing or acknowledging the outcome.
‘I have co-operated with the previous investigations. In each case the only evidence relied on has been Azeem’s. On two occasions, I have been informed that no allegations were upheld against me, and I had no case to answer.
‘I offered to meet with the ECB and to travel anywhere they wanted to meet. When I chased up a meeting date I was informed the ECB had chosen not to interview me but they clearly spent considerable time interviewing Azeem.
‘There appears to be no corroborative evidence before the ECB from existing or former (Yorkshire) players to back up Azeem’s perception of how he was treated during his two spells with the club. Joe Root has stated he did not witness any racist conduct at YCCC.
‘I refuse to have my life defined by unsubstantiated allegations by an embittered former colleague and a YCCC/ECB witch-hunt. Similarly, I refuse to be perceived as a perpetual victim despite the fact my treatment from the club was abhorrent.
‘It appears the ECB need to find somebody guilty of something in order to substantiate Yorkshire’s undoubted “guilty” plea. lord Patel has embraced the entirely false allegation that YCCC was an institutionally racist organisation. Even if that were true, which is denied, his “clear-out” of staff was only limited to the coaching and medical staff, and ignored the players and other departments within YCCC.
‘The latest ECB investigation has only resulted in a small number of people being charged. We are being put forward as scapegoats.’
Gale was one of seven Yorkshire individuals charged by the ECB earlier this month in connection with allegations made by Rafiq and examined by law firm Squire Patton Boggs, who upheld seven of the 43 claims, before being made public under parliamentary privilege at the DCmS Select Committee.
All seven had until yesterday to respond to the ECB’s charges. ECB sources claim it is not a prerequisite to interview all individuals involved before issuing charges, and that there are further chances for participants to be interviewed when cases are heard by the cricket discipline commission.
Gale hit out at lord Patel for his handling of the Yorkshire sackings, as well as criticising Rafiq for making what he claims are unfounded allegations against him.
‘lord Patel saw fit to place Azeem on a pedestal and immediately lost face as Azeem’s anti- Semitic language came into the public domain,’ said Gale. ‘Having taken that stance I am sure lord Patel feels obliged to carry on with a crusade against the former staff, as to acknowledge his own errors would no doubt make his position as chairman untenable.
‘Lord Patel didn’t work at YCCC during the time period in question and, other than Azeem, has no personal evidence to justify his strategic approach of blaming some of the staff. By championing one member of staff, he has done a disservice to 16 families.
‘ I deny each and every allegation Azeem raised suggesting I used racist language and bullied him. I was originally stunned, but I am now angry he has raised such allegations against me.
‘I played a large part in Azeem’s return to Yorkshire in his second spell as a player and I helped him obtain a playing role in Australia when I was there playing cricket.
‘We trained with each other regularly and he had dinner with my family on a number of occasions.’
Yorkshire have conceded Gale’s claim of unfair dismissal, and the 38-year-old confirmed he will trust the Employment Tribunal process in October which will determine the amount of damages he will be awarded.
‘I have kept my counsel for the last seven months despite all the criticism that’s been directed at me and my former colleagues and the toll this has taken on my family,’ added Gale.
‘I have received personal abuse and we have had reason to leave our home on occasions.’