Azeem Rafiq Says “Time For Truths” As British MPs Probe Cricket Racism Scandal | Cricket Information

Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq will seem ahead of British lawmakers on Tuesday with the danger to provide an unvarnished account of his reviews of discrimination on the membership this is engulfed in a racism scandal. An impartial document discovered the Pakistan-born participant was once a sufferer of “racial harassment and bullying” whilst Rafiq himself mentioned he were pushed to ideas of suicide over the best way he was once handled. Even though the county apologised, they mentioned they’d take no disciplinary motion in opposition to any group of workers — a call that was once met with disbelief in lots of quarters.

Pakistan-born Rafiq, 30, will give proof to MPs at the Virtual, Tradition, Media and Game (DCMS) Committee on Tuesday with out concern of repercussions beneath parliamentary privilege.

Azeem tweeted a brief video on Monday, with the message: “Time for TRUTHS!!”

%.twitter.com/JiPGMXtUC4

— Azeem Rafiq (@AzeemRafiq30) November 15, 2021

The fallout for Yorkshire — one among England’s maximum a hit and historical golf equipment — has been swift and devastating.

Sponsors have pulled out and the membership has been suspended from webhosting profitable world fits.

Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton surrender previous this month and leader govt Mark Arthur adopted him out of the go out door because the Headingley membership grappled with the fallout from the disaster.

Next allegations of racism had been made through different gamers, surroundings in movement further investigations at Yorkshire and different golf equipment because the scandal spreads.

Hutton can even give proof throughout the consultation, in conjunction with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) leader govt Tom Harrison.

Rashid allegation

On Monday, present England spinner Adil Rashid joined ex-Pakistan Take a look at participant Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in alleging that former England Take a look at captain Michael Vaughan had mentioned in entrance of a gaggle of Yorkshire gamers of Asian ethnicity in 2009: “Too a lot of you lot, we wish to do something positive about it.”

Vaughan has once more “categorically” denied making the remark.

“To be faced with this allegation 11 years after it was once meant to have came about is the worst factor I’ve ever skilled,” he mentioned in a commentary.

Yorkshire participant Rashid, who issued a commentary on Monday by means of The Cricketer site, mentioned the “most cancers” of racism should be stamped out.

“I am inspired through the truth that a parliamentary committee appears to be seeking to strengthen the placement, whether or not that is conserving other folks responsible or getting adjustments made at an institutional degree,” he mentioned.

New Yorkshire chairman Kamlesh Patel welcomed Rashid’s “braveness in talking up” and mentioned he can be paying attention to the DCMS committee listening to with nice hobby.

“It’s proper that the problems which have been to start with introduced up through Azeem Rafiq, and the best way wherein they had been treated, are correctly tested through the committee,” he mentioned.

“We now have equipped the committee with a duplicate of the overall document, given its prison hobby within the case.”

It was once nonetheless unclear on Monday afternoon who else from the Yorkshire management workforce would give proof to the lawmakers.

Promoted

Former chairman Hutton was once indexed to talk at 1015 GMT, after Rafiq at 0930 GMT.

Committee chairman Julian Knight pulled no punches previous this month, announcing the Yorkshire scandal was once some of the “maximum repellent and hectic episodes in trendy cricket historical past”.