Brooks rues calling Pujara ‘Steve’
SOMERSET seamer Jack Brooks last Thursday (18) apologised to Cheteshwar Pujara for his role in nicknaming the India Test specialist “Steve” during his time at Yorkshire.
Brooks – who joined Somerset in 2018 – also issued an apology for historical racist tweets (2012) as the controversy surrounding Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism against Yorkshire continued to haunt English cricket.
The emergence of two examples of Brooks using allegedly racist words in exchanges with England fast bowler Tymal Mills and Stewart Laudat, who played minor county cricket for Oxfordshire, led to Somerset investigating the allegations. “With reference to my naming in Azeem Rafiq’s statement to MPs this week, the use of the name ‘Steve’ related to some people having difficult names to pronounce. When this has occurred in the past in a dressing room environment, it has been commonplace to give nicknames, regardless of creed or race,” Brooks said in a statement that appeared on the Somerset club’s website.
“I admit to having used it in this context and now accept that it was disrespectful and wrong to do so. I have reached out and apologised to Cheteshwar for any offence that I have caused him or his family. At the time I didn’t recognise this as racist behaviour, but I can now see that it was not acceptable.”
Pujara had county cricket stints at Yorkshire in 2015 and 2018. Brooks acknowledged the language used in the two tweets he made in 2012 was “unacceptable”.
“I deeply regret using it. I unreservedly apologise for any offence caused to anybody who may have seen these tweets.
“The two players to whom I sent the tweets are my friends and it was certainly not my intention to cause distress or offence to them or anyone who read them.
“It is my understanding neither individual was offended at the time, but I accept language is important and that a word I used may have caused offence to others.”
Brooks said he condemned discrimination of any sort. “I should never have used discriminatory language, no matter what the intention and context was. I wholeheartedly apologise for any offence caused.”
Somerset said, after an internal inquiry, it has decided to reprimand Brooks and asked him to participate in “extensive training on equality, diversity and inclusivity”.