Is English cricket racist?

[GarveyLives]

While it is clearly important that the use of a highly offensive racial epithet at Executive Board meeting in 2017 should be condemned (if it occurred), it seems strange that these rather more systemic concerns do not appear to be receiving as much attention as the alleged use of a highly offensive word on one occasion five years ago. Or maybe it isn't:

He threw a banana and said: 'Climb for it, you f***ing monkey': Maurice Chambers recalls racism in county cricket

Cricket racism allegations: Ex-player Zoheb Sharif says he was nicknamed 'the bomber' and told he would never play in the first team

Jahid Ahmed: Essex was "a white man's world where brown people were outsiders"

Essex County Cricket Club have now been fined £50,000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board after pleading guilty to two charges relating to the use of a highly offensive racial epithet at an Executive Board meeting in 2017.

The club were charged over the comment itself and their failure to conduct an appropriate, or any, investigation.

£15,000 of the fine has been suspended for two years and Essex have also been cautioned as to their further conduct.

(Source: as stated in image)
​

Former chairman John Faragher has denied using a highly offensive racial epithet on one occasion at a meeting five years ago.


Meanwhile, former Essex player, Nasser Hussain has been investigating what Essex County Cricket Club are doing to address longstanding systemic issues:

Nasser Hussain discovers how Essex are encouraging Asian and black kids into first-class cricket

 

[GarveyLives]

... meanwhile in neighbouring Scotland:

Racism scandal at top Scottish cricket club as three members banned after using slurs

The enablers jump before they are pushed:

Cricket Scotland board resigns before publication of 'devastating' racism report

 

[Petcha]

Oh dear. Evidence now coming forward of Rafiq calling fellow players faggots (confirmed by umpires) and 'fat shaming' young players, as well as his anti-semitism. What an absolute fucking cunt, currently doing quite well on the speaking tour.

I wonder if the dickhead took his own shirt off. He's not exactly Brad Pitt himself.

Rafiq is also accused of ignoring another complaint about his past behaviour while playing in Yorkshire league cricket, with former club player Paul Wilkinson telling Sportsmail that several attempts to secure an apology for alleged homophobic abuse were blanked. Wilkinson claims that the former Yorkshire spinner twice called him a ‘f****t’ while playing for Darfield against Rafiq’s childhood club Barnsley in May 2009.

He called me a f****t twice while I was batting,’ Wilkinson said. ‘The umpire heard it at the time, but ignored it, as he didn’t want the hassle of reporting a Yorkshire player. He was going to be the next big thing at the time if you remember. The umpire called me last November, after the racism story blew up, to apologise.

‘I’ve messaged Azeem about it several times on social media, but never had a response. He just ignores it. I never said anything to him at all to warrant the abuse. If I’d have said something similar to him I’d have got a long ban — and quite rightly. I probably didn’t understand it properly at the time, but it’s disgusting what he said. I regret not reporting it.’

Wilkinson’s account has been corroborated by the umpire on the day, Duncan Hague, who also confirmed that he’d called him to apologise after Rafiq became a national figure following his powerful testimony at a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing last year.

‘Azeem was coaching a group of young teenagers as he was doing his level three coaching badge at the time,’ Froggett said. ‘A few of us were watching and as he was arranging the teams he put all the bigger, overweight lads in one side, and the slimmer kids in the other. Then he said, “Come on, it’s shirts v skins”, and made the bigger lads take their tops off. We said, “You can’t do that”, and he just replied, “They shouldn’t be fat b******s”.

 

[Petcha]

I really really don't get the efforts to make this guy some kind of hero.

He's a racist, anti-Semitic homophobe. And is bizarrely made himself the poster boy for the opposite. In front of a select committee. In tears. But I get guess kudos for the chuzpah for it his weird campaign to earn a crust

The Spin | Azeem Rafiq’s own failings do not give Yorkshire CCC any high ground

Poisonous situation has seen some refuse to let their club be accused by a man they can level their own accusations back at

www.theguardian.com

Edit: Actually, re-reading that article, it kind of implies that everyone is making things up about him. Some kind of conspiracy. I really don't think there could be that many people at Yorkshire complicit in rampant racism, and that includes Joe Root, one of the nicest blokes in the game, there all the time, and who claims never to have heard anything like what this guy says was said.

 

[BristolEcho]

I don't think that his behaviour undermines the experiences he has had. It's been a while since I've heard much on the case as I've not followed it, but it was acknowledged there have been problems as far as a I remember?

Why don't you think it's possible that racism was rampant at Yorkshire? And how do you know Joe Root is a nice bloke? "Nice blokes" are very capable of being racist, and very capable of overlooking racism that is going on around them. They are also very capable of covering stuff up that compromises them.

 

[Petcha]

Adil Rashid now saying he was pressured by Rafiq to say he had heard racist language even though he doesn't recall any

Adil Rashid 'felt pressured by Azeem Rafiq into backing racism claims'

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: England spinner Adil Rashid felt pressured by Azeem Rafiq into backing racism claims that he does not remember, according to a senior figure at Yorkshire.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[paulhackett]

Adil Rashid now saying he was pressured by Rafiq to say he had heard racist language even though he doesn't recall any

Adil Rashid 'felt pressured by Azeem Rafiq into backing racism claims'

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: England spinner Adil Rashid felt pressured by Azeem Rafiq into backing racism claims that he does not remember, according to a senior figure at Yorkshire.

www.dailymail.co.uk

According to a senior figure at Yorkshire says the Daily Mail..

 

[Petcha]

Michael Vaughan returns to BBC cricket coverage for Ashes summer

Michael Vaughan is to play a key part in the BBC’s cricket coverage after being cleared earlier this year of making a racist remark when he was a player

www.theguardian.com

Vaughan back in the fold. No mention of whether he'll be bringing legal action against Rafiq but I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

 

[brogdale]

Michael Vaughan returns to BBC cricket coverage for Ashes summer

Michael Vaughan is to play a key part in the BBC’s cricket coverage after being cleared earlier this year of making a racist remark when he was a player

www.theguardian.com

Vaughan back in the fold. No mention of whether he'll be bringing legal action against Rafiq but I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

Warrick Hunt; that's me out of TMS

 

[Petcha]

He's a decent enough commentator. I'd rather him in there than Tuffers 'charmingly' yabbering on or whoever the hell else they have nowadays

 

[brogdale]

He's a decent enough commentator. I'd rather him in there than Tuffers 'charmingly' yabbering on or whoever the hell else they have nowadays

Nah, he's always been a bent cunt, only ever bigging up the 'talent' that his company manages.

 

[GarveyLives]

Is English cricket racist?​

"Adil Ray examines whether racism is endemic in the English game, featuring startling revelations from England cricket star Moeen Ali and ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan ..."

Is Cricket Racist?, Channel 4, Tuesday 18 July 2023, 11.05pm

 

[GarveyLives]

Sad:

Devon Malcolm: Mistreatment of black cricketers is nothing new – it’s been happening for decades

 

[GarveyLives]

"Adil Ray examines whether racism is endemic in the English game, featuring startling revelations from England cricket star Moeen Ali and ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan ..."

Is Cricket Racist?, Channel 4, Tuesday 18 July 2023, 11.05pm

Reviewed here:

"There is no denying the racism in the sport – but the shocking consequences of it are even more appalling than you might imagine ..."

Is Cricket Racist? review – the answer can only be one thing: ‘very’

 

[GarveyLives]

Shocking and disgusting ... but is anyone actually shocked and disgusted?:

"A racist lout branded former Scotland international cricketer Majid Haq a 'cheating P**i' - then told him to his face it was a statement of 'fact', Greenock Sheriff Court has heard.

Ronald McGregor was the scorer at a match being umpired by Mr Haq when he shouted out the disgusting slur in response to a decision against Greenock.

Racist claimed he 'used factual term' after abusing Greenock cricket umpire

"A Greenock racist who abused a cricket umpire during a match in the town last month has been banned from the sport for life ..."

Lifetime ban for Greenock racist who abused cricket umpire]

(Courtesy of Angela Prabhu of Angel Images)​

Greenock CC First XI scorer, Ronald (Ronnie) McGregor of West Blackhall Street, Greenock, refused to engage in Cricket Scotland's disciplinary process and has been given a lifetime ban from attending further cricket matches in Scotland.

 

[GarveyLives]

"The idea that cricket can draw a line under its racism and discrimination issues after Yorkshire’s £400,000 fine and 48-point deduction in July remains a fantasy ..."

Azeem Rafiq contacted by cricket players still suffering racism in dressing rooms

 

[GarveyLives]

Azeem Rafiq contacted by cricket players still suffering racism in dressing rooms

Colin Graves, the returning incoming chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club ("Yorkshire") has now apologised "personally and unreservedly" for the culture of racist abuse during his previous term as chairman which he previously claimed to have no knowledge of.

Graves is set to charge Yorkshire interest payments of around 10 per cent per year as part of a £5m refinancing package that will ensure Yorkshire's survival.

Yorkshire's board unanimously accepted Graves' offer, which will see him resume his previous role as chairman and effectively buy Headingley by converting an existing £16m loan into equity, and Yorkshire will continue to make regular payments to him.

Graves has committed to providing a £1m unsecured personal loan, as well as sourcing further borrowing of £4m within the next five months. Under the terms of the loan agreement Graves is understood to be charging interest of 4.8 per cent above the Bank of England base rate, which is currently 5.25 per cent, leaving Yorkshire with a bill of around £500,000 for the interest alone in the coming year.

In July 2023 Yorkshire were fined £400,000 in relation to the culture of racist abuse which Graves previously claimed to have no knowledge of.

Graves has agreed to lease Headingley to Yorkshire rent-free after completing the equity conversion however, a process that will also give him control of the Hundred franchise based at the ground, the Northern Superchargers.

Yorkshire: Colin Graves apologises 'personally and unreservedly' for racism scandal

In an interview with Sky Sports last year Graves played down the culture of racist abuse under his previous chairmanship of Yourshire as 'banter,' which was criticised by the ECB.

 

[planetgeli]

Is Scottish cricket racist?

Back in the day, when Yorkshire's policy of only fielding Yorkshire-born cricketers was seen as tolerably quaint instead of the White Rose parochialism it was, it was noticeable that the vast, vast majority of those Yorkshiremen were white, despite Yorkshire having a high population of Asian immigrants and many cricket leagues full of people of Asian descent. It seemed obvious, because of that, that Yorkshire were racist - and I'm talking back from the 70s.

So, Scotland. Are they guilty of the same? I think they've had one or two Asian players for sure. But again, isn't there quite a high Asian ethnic population in Glasgow alone?

I ask because I noticed Scotland's team today. They are all called Gavin and Charlie and Jack etc. Ironically, the one non-white player in their squad appears to have been born in Yorkshire. And he can't get in the team now anyway. They also aren't averse to white South Africans.

But is there something going on here akin to the Yorkshire situation? All the other emerging cricketing nations have large swathes of ex-pats in their team. From India, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc.

Scotland don't.

Like Yorkshire didn't?

 

[planetgeli]

Haha so then I went looking and yes, yes it is.

Spinner Hamza Tahir threatens legal action after Scotland retirement

Embattled Cricket Scotland board calls for unity as more grievances emerge

www.espncricinfo.com

And I do think 11 white guys in a Scottish team is an obvious look. In plain sight.

 

[GarveyLives]

Essex County Cricket Club have now been fined £50,000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board after pleading guilty to two charges relating to the use of a highly offensive racial epithet at an Executive Board meeting in 2017.

The club were charged over the comment itself and their failure to conduct an appropriate, or any, investigation.

£15,000 of the fine has been suspended for two years and Essex have also been cautioned as to their further conduct.

(Source: as stated in image)
​

Former chairman John Faragher has denied using a highly offensive racial epithet on one occasion at a meeting five years ago.


Meanwhile, former Essex player, Nasser Hussain has been investigating what Essex County Cricket Club are doing to address longstanding systemic issues:

Nasser Hussain discovers how Essex are encouraging Asian and black kids into first-class cricket

And now:

Essex County Cricket Club hit with £100,000 fine after being found guilty of systemic racism

 

[GarveyLives]

The current captain of the England Women's cricket team, Heather Knight, has received a reprimand and a suspended £1,000 fine from the independent Cricket Discipline Commission after it came to light in July 2024 that she had dressed up in Blackface at an end-of-season fancy dress party at a cricket club in Kent in 2012, at which point in time she had already been an England player for more than two years and "Back then, I simply was not as educated as to the implications and consequences of my actions as I have become since".

It is unclear when the captain of the England Women's cricket team became "as educated as to the implications and consequences" of her actions as she has become since then.