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02
Nov 2021
Masham Cricket Club criticises Yorkshire response to racism allegations
Masham Cricket Club has said it is “extremely disappointed” by Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s response to allegations that it is institutionally racist.
The allegations were made in August 2020 by Azeem Rafiq, who was an off-spin bowler for Yorkshire and became the club’s youngest ever Twenty20 format captain in 2012.
Yorkshire, which has many members and supporters in the Harrogate district, has faced fierce criticism after it insisted no disciplinary action would be taken against former players, employees or executives following an investigation.
Mark Ellis, chairman of Masham Cricket Club, said the response from Yorkshire “felt like double standards”.
He said grassroot clubs encouraged inclusivity and fostered communities, but felt like the county’s actions “sent mixed messages”.
Mr Ellis said:
In a tweet this morning, Masham Cricket Club said the response from the club to the allegations had left it “angry”.
It said:
https://twitter.com/MashamCricket/status/1455450417895247877
On September 10, Yorkshire released a summary statement of the panel’s investigation into the allegations and apologised to Rafiq.
But the club faced criticism, including by Jo Stevens, Shadow Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for releasing the statement in the midst of the cancellation of England’s final test match against India.
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The club later cited legal reasons for not releasing the full report.
However, yesterday, ESPNCricinfo reported that the investigation panel found at least one player used the P-word when talking to Rafiq.
'Banter' between players
The investigation cleared the player of any wrongdoing after the report said it was perceived as friendly, good-natured "banter" between the two players.
Following the publication of the summary report, Rafiq has continued to campaign against racism and taken to social media to criticise Yorkshire's response.
The Stray Ferret has approached Yorkshire County Cricket Club for comment.
In response to the allegations, Roger Hutton, chairman of Yorkshire, said in a statement in September:
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