Root: It is hard to see Rafiq in pain after racism claims

England captain Joe Root admits it has been “hard” seeing the pain of former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq and has called on everyone involved in cricket to play their part in making it a more inclusive sport.

Root will lead his players in their usual “moment of unity” against discrimination before the start of the third Test against India at Headingley tomorrow. That is likely to provoke plenty of conversation, given the situation regarding Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism during his time at the club.

Yorkshire last week apologised to Rafiq, accepting he had been a “victim of inappropriate behaviour” and indicating that “several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld” by an independent investigation they commissioned last September.

That report has been delivered to Yorkshire, along with a suite of recommendations, but has yet to be published or shared with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“I can’t really speculate or comment too much on a report I have not seen but, as a former team-mate and friend, it’s hard to see Azeem hurting as he is,” said Root after a net session at his home ground.

“It just shows that there is a lot of work we have to do in the game. It’s a societal issue in my opinion. We have seen it in other sports, we have seen it in other areas. As a sport, we have got to keep trying to find ways of making sure this isn’t a conversation that keeps happening. We have got to find ways of creating more opportunities, making our game more diverse, educate better.

“I don’t think that just comes from players and administrators – that is from everyone in the game. There has got to be a want and a will to do that, and it is something we have to prioritise as a sport.”