I felt isolated, humiliated at times. Constant use of the word P***
CRICKETER GIVES EVIDENCE ON ‘DISGUSTING’ RACIAL ABUSE
AZEEM Rafiq has named several individuals who saw to the racist abuse he suffered at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The former Yorkshire captain has given evidence to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing and lifted the lid on the “disgusting” racial abuse that he claims is widespread throughout the game.
Rafiq spent two spells with the White Rose between 2008 and 2018, but he told the select committee that he only realised just how bad the situation was shortly before he left the club.
“For the first time, I started to see it for what it was,” he said of his final months with Yorkshire.
“I felt isolated. Humiliated at the times. Constant use of the word P***.
“On a 2017 pre-season tour, Gary Ballance walks over and goes: ‘Why are you talking to him? You know he’s a P***.’ Or ‘He’s not a Sheikh. He’s got no oil.’
“This happened in front of teammates. It happened in front of coaching staff.
“We were on a bus trip in London to a Surrey game and we went past a couple of men with beards. It was like: ‘Is that your dad?.’
“If we went past a corner shop – ‘Does your uncle own this?.’
“This happened in front of Martyn Moxon (director of cricket), Andrew Gale (head coach), club officials. It never got stamped out. Everyone saw it.”
Rafiq also said the racist abuse wasn’t simply directed towards him.
“I’ve seen another player fasting,” he added. “If he made a mistake while he was fasting, the strength and fitness conditioning coach, the physio, coaches and fellow players would be blaming him for any mistakes he made as opposed to actually understanding.”
MPs also heard from Rafiq about how similar attitudes continued to persist after he left the club.
Rafiq claimed that Cheteshwar Pujara was called Steve by players when he joined Yorkshire.
“Jack Brooks I think started it where he didn’t feel the need to call him (Pajara) by his first name,” said Rafiq.
“Not only Jack, (but) the coaches, the media, Yorkshire website – everyone called him that. Commentators around the world. Some high-profile people.
“It just shows the institutional racism failings and what that environment showed people how they could behave.”
Rafiq also said another nickname was used by members of the England squad when describing non-white players.
“Kevin was something Gary (Ballance) used to describe everyone of