Azeem Rafiq...

Disgraceful statement.

If it looks like racism, and sounds kind racism, YCCC chooses to call it inappropriate behaviour.

I hope the majority of this report isn’t redacted and I hope this changes certain people’s behaviour

 

It sounds like a holding statement.

Board considering it. Will publish what we can in due course. Some allegations weren’t upheld, some allegations were upheld, we apologise for those that were and will take advice on the recommendations.

Without reading the independent report, no one can know which allegations were upheld and how poor the behaviour was, so I won’t be so quick to judge just yet. We need the report.

 

Will be interesting where Rafiq wants to take this. I very much doubt names will be mentioned unless Rafiq discloses them. Will run on and on for a while, me thinks.
The worrying thing is. (aside from what Rafiq suffered) All the rumours could tar everyone with the same brush.
Rashid has been with the club since 2006. Would be interesting to see if he suffered/suffers similar treatment. And if so, Why is he still contracted to the club. Given he could probably pick and choose.

 

I'm actually so angry about this that I can't even compose a comment on their 'statement' without completely losing it.

He deserves so much better from the club I've loved since I was a little kid

 

That's how I read it.

 

Azeem has made a statement. I’m quite happy to go with him on this

 

actually having read his reaction then that apology is not enough. I'm surprised he hadn't been told which allegations were upheld and which weren't as well.

 

Look at the local cricket leagues around Yorkshire.

Sheffield
Rotherham
Huddersfiled
Bradford
Leeds

And the amount of Asian and Caribbean people who play cricket in those leagues and to a very high standard.

And then look at all the Yorkshire CCC squads.

See if you can notice anything.

 

That’s an interesting point but actually it runs deeper than one which you suggest.

It isn’t necessarily just a race thing.

I have been involved in cricket in Yorkshire for over 35 years.

Yorkshire is Elitist to money and always has been.

Have a look at the squads over the years, how many have come from the South of the county and how many from West or North Yorkshire?

It’s always been said that if there’s a really good player from Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham or some parts of Sheffield, they will pick a slightly worse player from Leeds, Harrogate, York or Scarborough because their parents have more money.

My lad played for Yorkshire as recently as 2015. He also played for South Yorkshire through all the age groups. The South Yorkshire team didn’t lose a game for 2 years against all the other districts in the County.

Have a guess how many of that team are still in the Yorkshire system?

Easy answer is none.

Outside of Sheffield Collegiate (another perceived area with money - Root and Vaughan) there’s been hardly any SY based regulars for Yorkshire.

If you are from South Yorkshire or East Yorkshire you have to be miles better that your peers to get a look in, this has been a fact for generations.

I’m not for a second saying that Azeem hasn’t gone through racism from certain individuals and they must be brought to account, however elitism is actually the main root cause of the issues within the county which then exacerbates the problem of getting perceived lower demographic players into the county team.

 

I agree with that from what I’ve heard of the Yorkshire setup. Unfortunately, most asian kids grow up in ‘non-elite’ families so elitism + racism = a white Yorkshire team.

 

So says the judge. Take him down.

 

I think that makes a lot of sense but there's a huge overlap between wealth and race in Yorkshire. I lived for a number of years in LS6 and grown up around the Pakistani communities in Wakefield.. So it makes no sense to me that of all the cricket obsessed kids in those areas, almost none have been talented enough to play for Yorkshire.

 

The Saddest thing is that Azeem Rafiq is f**king 30 years old! He should be in his prime and likely would be involved in all forms of English cricket if he was given the right support. He was Root and Stokes' captain in England U19s and was widely considered to be the most talented and best natural leader of that generation.

I'd like to say if he was at another County things might have been better. But I'm actually struggling to think of any county with a consistent record for bringing young Asian players through.

 

You’re kind of agreeing with my point though mate, that the elitist nature of Yorkshire CCC creates the issue of Asians getting through the system.

It’s to do with money. I’ve played with some incredibly talented lads who never got the same chance as other lads who lived in Horsforth, Harrogate etc.

My best mate, I’ll not name him as he’s from Barnsley was the Captain of England through all the age groups up to being 15. The same team that had Michael Vaughan in it, along with other notable players who went on to play county cricket and for England.

Yorkshire binned him before he got to 16.

 

Oh sorry.. yes I am agreeing. I didn't mean for it to come off like I wasn't

 

MPs have told the club to release the report immediately. YCCC trying to brush things under the carpet!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/58490078

 

Haha MPs asking for transparency.

Russia election interference report anyone?
Brexit economic estimations?
MPs expenses?
Who Paid for Boris' furniture?
How much money has been syphoned off to Tory Donors?
Was the Tory Party Racist?

 

I'm not so sure on the elitist label regarding Yorkshire. I played Yorkshire age groups with a number of lads, both from South and West Yorks - and I would say that genuinely the sides at my age were picked on ability (as far as I could tell). The age group I was part of was probably a 50/50 split between the 'haves and have nots' - and obviously I appreciate that this doesn't mean it was the same throughout the years.

There was no sour grapes from me - in the end I wasn't good enough and never made it passed U19 level - I found that it was the lads who worked the hardest when push came to shove got the gig.

This might just have been unique to my age group though - so this post is actually rather pointless.

 

Statement here