RAFIQ HEARING DELAYED

THE Yorkshire racism hearing is set to be adjourned after most of the defendants appealed against the unprecedented decision to hold it in public.

The ECB are now preparing to instruct the Cricket Discipline Commission to convene another hearing to rule on appeals from former England players Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, who along with five others are charged with using racist language toward Azeem Rafiq. The defendants’ legal teams were informed yesterday that the appeals would be heard within 14 days. Rafiq’s key witness Adil Rashid has indicated he is unable to attend the hearing, but the ECB could make an application for him to give evidence via Zoom.

ENGLAND T20 World Cup winner Alex Hales has been reprimanded by the ECB for racist conduct after a historical image of him in blackface emerged last year.