In the wake of accusations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq, Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) has announced plans to find more diverse talent, including through partnering with a South African cricket club. This follows other changes including the replacement of the coaching staff, the resignation of several senior figures, and the establishment of a whistleblowing hotline to allow people to safely report discrimination.
However, as the club contemplates the new season a couple of months away, it still has some questions to answer about how it responded to the claims of racism when they first emerged. It initially failed to take action on receipt of a report into the allegations. It also said that there was no reason for any disciplinary action.
In over two hours of evidence on November 16 2021, Rafiq told parliament’s digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) select committee that from early on in his time at the club he was subject to personal racist abuse. He said that during his two spells at the club he had faced repeated racist comments from senior players, and suggested that racism had become normalised at the cricket club.
