BALLANCE BOMB SHELL
++ England batsman is Yorkshire star who called Rafiq ‘P**i’ ++ Now he says sorry and admits: I regret my language
“I regret these exchanges took place but at no time did I believe it had caused Rafa distress’’
GARY BALLANCE is the Yorkshire cricketer who repeatedly called his then team-mate Azeem Rafiq a ‘P**i’, sparking the race row that has engulfed Headingley.
Ballance’s words were dismissed as ‘banter’ by an investigation into alleged racism at Yorkshire which led to further criticism of the county.
The former England batsman was named by Mail Online yesterday as the club continued to reel from the scrutiny placed upon them for failing to take disciplinary action against any of their employees.
And 31-year-old Ballance last night issued a statement, saying he was ‘deeply saddened and upset by the allegations’.
He added: ‘I deeply regret some of the language I used in my younger years.’
Full details of the allegations made by Rafiq during an inquiry which took 12 months to conclude — and did so only in the form of a redacted report released by Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton — will come to light at a hearing which takes place on November 16.
That is when Rafiq, along with Hutton, Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur and director of cricket Martyn Moxon will give evidence to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee.
Hutton has previously admitted that Rafiq was the subject of racial harassment and bullying.
Last night Ballance was keen to state his version of events, saying in his statement: ‘Azeem was not just a team-mate of mine but he was my closest friend and supporter in cricket.
‘Throughout this process I have co-operated with the independent investigation and I have been completely honest and transparent with the club and the investigators at all times.
‘Information and allegations have been leaked and reported in the press which, in my view, give a misleading impression of the evidence which was heard in the investigation.
‘I had not intended to make any public statement but, given the reports which have been published, and with journalists arriving at my house, I feel I have no choice but to provide a public response.
‘To be clear — I deeply regret some of the language I used in my younger years.
‘The independent enquiry, having heard all of the evidence, accepted that the context of some of the language used was in a “friendly verbal attack” between friends which was not intended to offend or hurt and that no malice was intended.
‘Given my incredibly close relationship with Rafa over the years, I am saddened that it has come to this.’
Ballance added: ‘I regret that these exchanges took place but at no time did I believe or understand that it had caused Rafa distress.
‘If I had believed that then I would have stopped immediately.
‘He was my best mate in cricket and I cared deeply for him. To my knowledge, it has never been alleged that I reduced Rafa to tears.
‘That does not mean that what passed between us was right or appropriate. It was not.
‘Rafa said things to me that were not acceptable and I did the same with Rafa. I never said anything with any intended malice or to upset Rafa.’
On another tumultuous day for the troubled club, Tetley’s said that they would stop sponsoring Yorkshire after 25 years. Another backer, Arla Foods, decided against renewing their deal on Tuesday.
A backlash following the leaking of the full report to ESPNcricinfo has led to political figures getting involved.
Health secretary Sajid Javid took to social media and said that ‘heads should roll at Yorkshire’ after it became public that the report — which has since been passed to the ECB for further investigation — cleared Ballance of wrongdoing.
The 31-year-old is also said to have admitted telling other people ‘Don’t talk to him (Rafiq), he’s a P**i’; asking when bearded Asian men were in view: ‘Is that your uncle?’ and saying in reference to corner shops: ‘Does your dad own those?’