Whistleblower urged to assist inquiry into claim he was forced to drink wine
Azeem Rafiq was last night urged to co-operate with an investigation into his harrowing testimony that he had been pinned down and had red wine poured down his throat as a young Muslim cricketer.
Barnsley Cricket Club – now called Barnsley Woolley Miners CC – stated that Rafiq had not yet responded to requests to assist their inquiries into one of the most shocking revelations he made during his appearance before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Tuesday.
Rafiq had described being restrained in a car and being forced to drink alcohol when still a child.
At the time of the alleged incident, Rafiq was playing for Barnsley, one of the most famous amateur clubs in Yorkshire, which counts Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Dickie Bird, Darren Gough and Sir Michael Parkinson among its alumni.
Rafiq told MPS the wine was poured down his throat by an unnamed former Yorkshire and Hampshire player.
In a statement, the club said they stood ready to investigate, but that Rafiq had provided no information about the alleged incident since they approached him “within 90 minutes” of first being notified about it last year.
“No details were forthcoming then or since. We did initiate a search of our welfare records and contacted our former safeguarding officer and there is no record of any incident being reported at that or any other time. We repeat, if Azeem wants to provide those details, we will, of course, initiate an investigation.
“For the record, the cricket club would not have allowed such behaviour to take place unchallenged if it had been aware. Barnsley Woolley Miners Cricket Club believe dis
crimination should not be tolerated in any way, shape or form.”
The club statement also said that they would welcome “any independent investigative body to provide the transparency that a serious allegation of this nature deserves”.
A spokesman for Rafiq declined to comment last night, but The Daily Telegraph has been told Rafiq’s failure to comply has been due to him co-operating with Yorkshire’s inquiry into his claims of racism there and he planned to provide further information in due course.
Rafiq yesterday also appealed to Britain’s Jews to accept his apology for making anti-semitic slurs while a teenager. Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle, he said: “When it comes to the people who were racist towards me, all I’ve ever asked for is an apology and for them to accept what they’ve done. Then I’d give them a second chance. My comments hurt people. It’s for the Jewish community to decide whether you guys accept my apology.”
He added: “I don’t recall making any other anti-semitic remarks, but I’ll go back and think about it. People are going to go through my whole life looking for things I’ve done. I admit I’ve made mistakes.”
Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire joined the England and Wales Cricket Board in announcing they were investigating a photograph showing Alex Hales in blackface.
The county were already looking into accusations in parliament by Rafiq that Hales had named his dog “Kevin” in a racist slur, something the former England batsman has vehemently denied.
Notts said: “Alex is currently in Australia ahead of the Big Bash League and is due to return to Nottinghamshire in the new year to prepare for his commitment to the club in the T20 Blast.
“Alex will be subject to the club’s established disciplinary process and has indicated his willingness to participate in the investigation.”
In a video message posted to his Instagram account, Hales said of attending a 2009 fancy-dress party as the rapper Tupac Shakur: “I obviously realise this is incredibly disrespectful and I want to apologise for the offence that this has no doubt caused.”