Azeem Rafiq has denied claims he used homophobic and antisemitic language during his playing career and that he 'fat-shamed' children during a coaching session.
Rafiq, who called the allegations a "coordinated campaign of lies" and "categorically untrue", has been at the forefront of cricket's racism scandal since speaking out about the racist abuse he faced during his time at Yorkshire.
An independent report commissioned by the county found that Rafiq had been a "victim of racial harassment" at Yorkshire and his testimony sparked widespread change at the club. However, the 31-year-old has now been forced to deny allegations of abuse himself after claims made by former teammates and officials in the Daily Mail.
The report claims Rafiq 'commonly' used antisemitic and abusive language while playing for Yorkshire's second XI between 2007 and 2012 and repeatedly called a former teammate who was not Jewish a 'Jew'. "We were in the second XI together and if you didn't go on a night out he would call you a f****t," an unnamed ex-Yorkshire player told the outlet.
"It was relentless. He may say he was just trying to fit in, but he was the ring-leader. There was one player he used to call a 'Jew' all the time. He said this player looked Jewish, which he wasn't.
"This sounds bizarre and was clearly wrong, but it was an accepted way to speak in the dressing room at the time. Azeem was a senior player in that side and was at the forefront of it."
He is also accused of bullying a group of children during a training session at Barnsley Cricket Club by former chairman Andrew Froggett, who claimed: "Azeem was coaching a group of young teenagers as he was doing his level three coaching badge at the time. 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'."
Rafiq also faces claims he called opposition player Paul Wilkinson a "f****t" during a Yorkshire Premier League game in 2009 between Darfield and Barnsley. "He called me a f****t twice while I was batting," Wilkinson claimed.
"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."
In response to the claims, Rafiq said: "These allegations are categorically untrue. I knew as a whistleblower I would come under attack.
"What I did not expect was a never-ending, coordinated campaign of lies, which has caused serious risk to me and my family's safety. I have been vindicated over and over again, and will not be intimidated by those who seek to silence me."
Meanwhile, a report from the Cricketer states that Rafiq, his wife, children and parents are set to move abroad due to 'a spate of threats made both online and in person in recent times'. The report adds that one case captured on CCTV saw a person defecating in his parents' garden.
