A Muslim cricketer has claimed he was informed ‘it doesn’t matter what you do you’ll not play within the first group’ as he opened up on alleged racist abuse he suffered as a participant.
Zoheb Sharif stated coaches at Essex dumped him within the 2nd XI earlier than he was booted from the membership in 2004.
The 38-year-old claimed he was averaging over 100 runs – greater than most 1st XI stars – however was shunned for a spot.
He earlier revealed he was referred to as a ‘curry muncher’ and ‘bomber’ after 9/11 by his teammates.
Sharif stated the vile nicknames caught from his first day on the membership and ‘nobody batted an eyelid’.
It comes after Yorkshire CCC whistleblower Azeem Rafiq delivered an emotional and explosive account of his harrowing expertise of racism in cricket to MPs yesterday.
The previous spin bowler launched a collection of latest and surprising allegations that implicate a handful of high-profile former England gamers.
In a prolonged look for the Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport choose committee he provided up a damning, and damaging, account of his life within the English recreation.
Zoheb Sharif stated coaches at Essex dumped him within the 2nd XI earlier than he was booted from the membership in 2004. He’s pictured second from proper on the again row subsequent to Ravi Bopara
Sharif echoed Rafiq’s allegations throughout an look on Good Morning Britain right this moment.
He stated: ‘I used to be let go in 2004, so I spent most of my time in 2004 within the reserve group and I used to be informed to carry out.
‘I feel the stats are on the market, I averaged over 100 within the second group.’ Requested if first group gamers have been hitting figures that prime, he stated: ‘Not many, not many.
‘I feel the following first group participant who went on to have good careers on the membership have been averaging 16 on the time.’
Requested why he thought he was launched, he went on: ‘I can solely put it all the way down to my race.
‘I used to be informed by a committee member it doesn’t matter what you do you’ll not play first group regardless of how nicely you do.
‘And this was off the again of me scoring lots of lots of within the second group and I feel there was even a recreation the place I stated ”look please give me yet another likelihood”.
‘They go ‘look, does not matter, here is one other recreation” and I feel in that recreation I obtained 100 runs.’
‘The county are conscious of my so-called allegations towards them. I’ve not likely heard something.
‘I do not assume Essex has previously launched an investigation but. I spoke somewhat bit to the chairman of Essex however I do not know if they’ve formally launched…’
‘I hope they’re [taking it seriously] as in Azeem’s case. So I hope they’re however it’s not simply me as nicely – there are others who’ve come out as nicely at Essex.’
Sharif, 38, from Leytonstone, East London, additionally alleged he was referred to as ‘curry muncher’ throughout his time enjoying at Essex County Cricket Membership as a teen (pictured)
He stated he does really feel cricket is institutionally racist, including: ‘A number of the examples [Rafiq] talked about and going again to my examples as nicely the place curry muncher, bomber have been accepted phrases and nobody actually bat an eyelid to them actually.’
Earlier he stated: ‘I used to be shocked and saddened as a result of I did not assume it nonetheless occurred, it is clearly been happening for lots longer than even earlier than once I was enjoying.
‘My experiences return about 20 years now, to once I made my debut, and I used to be unlucky sufficient to make my debut the day after the September assaults.
‘I used to be labelled bomber right away coming into the altering room and it was made worse that the truth that it was raining in the course of the recreation so it spent lots of time within the altering room. In order that bomber nickname simply caught.
‘It was accepted throughout fairly a couple of people who would say these form of issues and clearly as a younger child your dream is to make your skilled debut.
‘However right away I got here in and it was bomber it simply did not cease, this went on for on a regular basis I used to be there and that transitioned to curry muncher.’
Yesterday Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Alex Hales and Gary Ballance have been all dragged into the racism row.
In his revealed witness assertion from a now-settled employment tribunal with Yorkshire, Rafiq stated Bresnan’s remedy of him led to ‘suicidal ideas’ in 2017, with a later apology from Bresnan described by Rafiq as ‘lip service’.
Elsewhere he restated an present allegation towards former England captain Michael Vaughan – which he denied – and in addition aired a protracted checklist of complaints towards Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon and head coach Andrew Gale.
Neither of the pair are presently lively of their posts, with Moxon signed off resulting from a stress-related sickness and Gale suspended pending an investigation into an offensive historic tweet. They’re but to deal with this.
Rafiq’s makes an attempt to boost allegations internally on the county fell on deaf ears greater than three years in the past, however an impartial panel was finally commissioned in 2020 following a collection of media interviews.
Its report has been roundly criticised by those that have seen it – with DCMS committee chair Julian Knight deriding it as ‘a Venn diagram of stupidity’ – and led to Yorkshire’s controversial conclusion that no employees members ought to face disciplinary motion.
Azeem Rafiq choked again tears yesterday as he revealed the phrase P*** was ‘used always’ throughout his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Membership
Rafiq stated he wished to turn into ‘the voice of the unvoiced’ as he mirrored on cricket’s wider issues round race, making it clear that he felt the shortcomings go proper to the very high.
In addition to going into disturbing particulars of his time at Headingley, the 30-year-old claimed Ballance’s derogatory use of the time period ‘Kevin’ as a blanket time period for all individuals of color was ‘an open secret within the England dressing room’.
He additional alleged that one other former England batter, Alex Hales, had named his canine Kevin as a result of it was black.
Ballance has apologised after beforehand admitted utilizing a ‘racial slur’ towards Rafiq over the course of a deep friendship however the latter rejected that assertion. As an alternative he says Ballance coined the undesirable and offensive nickname ‘Raffa the kaffir’ and would ‘always discuss all the way down to me and make racist jokes, designed to undermine me and make me really feel small’. Examples concerned references to nook retailers, Sheikhs and being associated to different Asian males.
Ballance is accused of repeatedly calling Rafiq ‘P***’, an allegation that can also be levelled individually at Hoggard, Bresnan and Gale.
Hoggard can also be stated to have used the phrase ‘elephant washer’, subjecting Rafiq to such abuse ‘each day…all day, day-after-day’ and making gamers of Asian heritage sit collectively within the altering room. Throughout his oral proof, Rafiq credited Hoggard with reaching out to apologise.
No such mitigation was provided for Bresnan, of whom Rafiq wrote: ‘Tim regularly made racist feedback and was unduly harsh in the direction of me in comparison with white British gamers, which turned so insufferable that I made a proper criticism towards him in 2017.’
Bresnan later apologised unreservedly for ‘any half I performed in contributing to Azeem Rafiq’s expertise of being bullied’ however pressured the accusation he regularly made racist feedback was ‘completely not true’.
Gary Ballance (pictured enjoying for England towards South Africa in July 2017) is among the many cricket stars accused of being racist between 2008 and 2018 by Rafiq
Rafiq hit out at England Check captain Joe Root (left), claiming he was on these nights out the place he was referred to as a ‘P***’. However he later stated Root was an excellent man. He claimed fellow worldwide star Hales (proper) named his black canine Kevin after Ballance typically used it as a time period for black individuals
Rafiq additionally made claims over Tim Bresnan’s (left) behaviour on the membership, saying he was amongst ‘six or seven’ gamers to have made a bullying criticism towards the star in 2017. Rafiq stated Matthew Hoggard (proper) had apologised to him after watching him being interviewed about his expertise at Yorkshire
Former England captain Michael Vaughan (pictured in 2018) has categorically denied the claims made by Rafiq towards him and issued a press release during which he described the accusations as ‘extraordinarily upsetting’
Gale can also be alleged to have used a wide range of racial slurs as nicely utilizing his management positions to topic Rafiq to ‘discriminatory remedy and bullying’ which held again his profession.
The vast majority of Rafiq’s claims centre round his two stints as a Yorkshire participant between 2008 and 2018, with notable exceptions for Jason Gillespie’s reign as head coach and a month-long mortgage spell at Derbyshire, however a graphic episode from his youth was additionally described.
Rafiq revealed that as an aspiring 15-year-old membership cricketer he had been restrained in a automobile and force-fed alcohol by a former Yorkshire and Hampshire participant. As a Muslim this contravened his non secular beliefs, although he later admitted he took up ingesting at Yorkshire.
‘I obtained pinned down at my native cricket membership and had pink wine poured down my throat, actually down my throat,’ he stated.
‘I (then) did not contact alcohol till about 2012 and round that point I felt I had to try this to slot in.
‘I wasn’t excellent, there are issues I did which I felt I needed to do to realize my desires. I deeply remorse that however it has nothing to do with racism.
‘The sport as an entire has an issue, with listening to the sufferer. There is no such thing as a ‘yeah, however’ with racism; there is no such thing as a ‘two sides’ to racism.’
Requested if he might determine a single particular person who had stood up for him or referred to as out acts of racism on the time, he was unable to summon a reputation, including: ‘You had individuals who have been brazenly racist and also you had the bystanders. No-one felt it was essential.’
Increasing on Ballance’s use of the phrase ‘Kevin’, Rafiq defined: ‘Kevin was one thing Gary used to explain anybody of color in a really derogatory method. It was an open secret within the England dressing room.
‘Anybody who got here throughout Gary would know that was a phrase he would use to explain individuals of color.
‘Gary and Alex Hales obtained actually shut to one another after they performed for England collectively. I wasn’t current in that dressing room, however what I perceive (is) that Alex went on to call his canine ‘Kevin’ as a result of it was black. It is disgusting how a lot of a joke it was.’
On England captain Joe Root’s current assertion that he couldn’t recall any examples of racism at Yorkshire, Rafiq discovered it onerous to reconcile his optimistic view of the person with the tradition that existed throughout their time collectively at Yorkshire.
‘Rooty is an efficient man. He by no means engaged in racist language,’ he stated.
‘I discovered it hurtful as a result of Rooty was Gary’s housemate and had been concerned in lots of the socialising the place I used to be referred to as a ‘P***’.
‘It reveals how regular it was that even an excellent man like him does not see it for what it was. It isn’t going to have an effect on Joe, however it’s one thing I bear in mind day-after-day.’
Former England coach and veteran commentator David Lloyd issued an apology on Twitter after Rafiq indicated he had exchanged disparaging messages about him in personal.
Lloyd, whose employers Sky have stated they’re investigating the feedback, wrote: ‘I deeply remorse my actions, and I apologise most sincerely to Azeem and to the Asian cricket group for doing this, and for any offence brought on.’
Bresnan tweeted final evening: ‘For any half I performed in contributing to Azeem Rafiq’s expertise of feeling bullied at Yorkshire, I apologised unreservedly,’ stated the previous England worldwide.
‘I need to although categorically deny his accusation that I ‘regularly made racist feedback’. That is completely not true.’
Sky cricket pundit David Lloyd has apologised after being named by Azeem Rafiq amid cricket’s racism storm
Lloyd expressed ‘deep remorse’ for the remark he made in a press release posted on Twitter on Tuesday night
The England and Wales Cricket Board has appointed an impartial fee for fairness in cricket (ICEC), chaired by Cindy Butts, charged with analyzing the difficulty of race within the recreation.
Its name for proof is now open, however Rafiq was sceptical about that course of, stating: ‘Motion is required and wanted now. To be trustworthy, we’re sick and bored with these fairness commissions and inquiries. Sick and drained.
‘All we’re asking for is equality, to be handled pretty whatever the color of our pores and skin or the faith we comply with. It is 2021, we should not even be having this dialog. No-one has ever been a whistleblower earlier than, no-one has ever had the braveness to return ahead due to the concern of not being believed. Do I imagine I misplaced my profession to racism? Sure I do.
‘Possibly what was written for me was this. I am an enormous believer that every thing occurs for a motive. I hope in 5 years’ time we’re going to see a giant change, that I did one thing far greater than any runs or any wickets I obtained.’
Michael Vaughan issued a press release on Monday categorically denying accusations he had informed 4 Asian team-mates ‘there’s too lots of your lot, we have to do one thing about it’. The others with claims towards them have been contacted.
Azeem Rafiq sensationally accuses Yorkshire of permitting his former team-mate Gary Ballance to MISS drug checks and overlaying for the ex-England star when he failed them because the fallout from his explosive racism allegations continues
- Azeem Rafiq gave a press release on abuse at Yorkshire to an employment tribunal
- The newest claims are included within the assertion, which has been launched right this moment
- It follows Rafiq’s different explosive claims to MPs at a DCMS committee listening to
- Rafiq was subjected to racism and bullying at Yorkshire County Cricket Membership
- Representatives of Gary Ballance denied Rafiq’s claims that the participant missed a drug check or had ‘drug and alcohol points’ as ‘egregious false allegations’
Azeem Rafiq has accused Yorkshire County Cricket Membership of defending their white gamers, together with permitting former England star Gary Ballance to overlook drug checks and canopy for him when he failed them.
The claims are included in Rafiq’s witness assertion to an employment tribunal, which was held after he introduced claims of racial harassment and bullying towards Yorkshire, however the allegations have been refuted by Ballance’s representatives.
Rafiq says that whereas Yorkshire protected white gamers, they failed to supply help to their Pakistani group mates.
And the revelations come after the participant’s explosive testimony to the Parliamentary Committee for Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport, earlier on Tuesday.
In alarming proof, Rafiq slammed English cricket as ‘institutionally racist’ and detailed his ‘inhumane’ remedy at Yorkshire.
Downing Road described his proof to the committee as ‘regarding’.
Following the four-hour listening to, the DCMS committee launched the witness assertion Rafiq had made to the employment tribunal.
Rafiq has claimed Yorkshire allowed Gary Ballance to skip drug checks when he performed for them
In his assertion to the tribunal, which Yorkshire settled with £200,000 in compensation final week, the cricketer stated: ‘Through the years, YCCC protected Gary Ballance with respect to his drug and alcohol points, permitting him to overlook drug hair pattern checks to keep away from sanctions.
‘When he failed a leisure drug check and was pressured to overlook some video games, the membership knowledgeable the general public he was lacking video games as a result of he was scuffling with nervousness and psychological well being points.’
Ballance has categorically refuted the claims made by Rafiq by way of his representatives.
‘As said in his earlier assertion Gary doesn’t intend on making any additional public assertion relating to Azeem’s allegations, nevertheless, he should appropriate the report regarding the egregious false allegations made in Azeem’s Witness Assertion that Gary had ‘drug and alcohol points’ and ‘miss[ed] drug hair pattern checks to keep away from sanctions,’ they stated.
‘These allegations are categorically unfaithful and may by no means have been made. Gary has by no means, to his information, missed a drug check and wouldn’t accomplish that.’
The 57-page witness assertion was launched by the DCMS committee.
In it, Rafiq contrasts remedy of himself with white gamers, suggesting that Steadiness, Joe Root and Alex Lees have been protected after they ‘had been suspended or had difficulties throughout their time on the membership’.
Rafiq was suspended after an incident throughout an England U19 collection at a resort in Scarborough in 2010, following which he launched into an expletive-laden Twitter tirade, and claimed he was harmless and there had been no investigation.
His suspension lasted for a month and regardless of no stipulation to keep away from Headingley, he claims he was made unwelcome on the stadium throughout this era.
Yorkshire Cricket Membership has confronted a barrage of claims of racial misconduct in current months
Throughout his testimony to MPs, Rafiq stated the membership provided him no help whereas his spouse, Faryal, suffered a sophisticated being pregnant, which resulted within the loss of life of their unborn son.
When he returned to work ‘Martyn Moxon [director of cricket] obtained me in a room and actually ripped the shreds off me,’ he stated.
In his witness assertion to the tribunal, Rafiq stated: ‘It appeared apparent to me that way more help was provided to different gamers, for instance, Gary Ballance obtained lots of help by way of melancholy and nervousness and Jonny Bairstow in relation to the continued affect and trauma of his father’s suicide.’
And he added: ‘What I discovered over time was that incidents with white gamers are lined up and a optimistic media spin is put out to guard them, but within the case of Pakistani gamers, we’re criticised unfairly and every thing is placed on present for the media to assault us with no safety afforded by YCCC.’
Rafiq, 30, (pictured) settled a six-figure payment with Yorkshire CCC at an employment tribunal final week after accusing the membership of institutional racism and bullying
The witness assertion goes into element concerning the alleged abuse Rafiq skilled at Yorkshire between 2008 and 2018, together with from Ballance.
‘He would always discuss all the way down to me and make racist jokes, designed to undermine me and make me really feel small, like developing and interrupting once I was speaking to ladies in a membership, saying ‘do not discuss to him, he is a P***’.
Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale was included in Rafiq’s witness assertion to an employment tribunal
‘I did my finest to strive to slot in, however it occurred a lot that at one level in 2012, I bear in mind crying outdoors a nightclub after his fixed racist taunting.’
Rafiq stated the abuse additionally occurred on ‘YCCC journeys, excursions and occasions, and in entrance of YCCC coaches and employees, who did nothing to cease it and would typically chuckle together with Gary on the humiliating, racist feedback he made in the direction of me’.
When information broke earlier this month that Ballance was named within the report, the batsman issued a press release: ‘It has been reported that I used a racial slur and, as I informed the impartial enquiry, I settle for that I did so and I remorse doing so.
‘To be clear – I deeply remorse a few of the language I utilized in my youthful years.’
Rafiq says that when he returned to Yorkshire for a second spell the state of affairs has improved underneath coach Jason Gillespie, however deteriorated after the Australian left.
‘From 2017 onwards, when Andrew Gale (Coach), Tim Bresnan (Vice Captain) and Gary Ballance (Captain) both coached and / or captained the group, I turned the fixed goal of their racist feedback and alleged banter and bullying tradition,’ stated Rafiq.
‘It affected my psychological well being, my potential to get away from bed within the morning and face the world, my sense of self-worth, and later my efficiency – and led to additional suicidal ideas.’
In his witness assertion, Rafiq highlights the alleged behaviour of Gale, who performed with him and later turned membership captain after which group coach.
Gale is presently suspended pending an investigation into an unrelated historic tweet.
‘Andrew joined in with Gary and others within the racist banter,’ stated Rafiq.
‘All through my time at YCCC, Andrew referred to as me ‘Raffa the Kaffir’, ‘P***’ and so forth. Nevertheless it was the discriminatory remedy and bullying I felt from him that was more durable for me than the identify calling.’
Former Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie has received reward for the way he managed the group
And Rafiq added: ‘Issues obtained even worse after Jason Gillespie left on the finish of 2016 and Andrew turned coach.
‘Earlier than that he was a fellow participant and captain, so I felt like I might ignore him as I had Jason there as our coach who supported me and sorted me. However when Andrew turned coach, he had full management over my life and my profession.
‘I needed to talk with him day-after-day, he would depart me out of coaching periods, he would put me down – in methods I hadn’t seen him try this to others and significantly white British gamers.
‘I simply do not assume that we obtained honest and equal remedy from Andrew, as in contrast with white British gamers.’
Rafiq claims England’s Adil Rashid hasalso been focused with racist abuse at Yorkshire
Rafiq highlighted the position performed within the dressing room by former England quick bowler Matthew Hoggard. He stated Hoggard coined the time period, ‘Raffa the Kaffir’, which many individuals referred to as Rafiq.
‘The feedback from Hoggy in the direction of myself and the opposite Asian gamers – Adil, Ajmal and Rana – have been fixed, each day, and all day, day-after-day.
‘I feel he may need thought it was simply dressing room banter, however we’d are available in within the morning and he would say issues like ‘you lot sit over there’ and make us all sit collectively. He would additionally name us issues like ‘elephant washers’ and ‘P***’.
Nevertheless, Rafiq stated Hoggard referred to as him after he shared his experiences within the media and apologised.
‘I thanked him and I respect him for that,’ stated Rafiq, who added: ‘I genuinely favored Hoggy, however I feel he was a product of the discriminatory tradition he was in and the tradition that was allowed to thrive at YCCC.’
Rafiq claims feedback made by former England captain Michael Vaughan left him shocked
Vaughan is now combating to salvage his status having guided England to Ashes glory
Rafiq additionally detailed an alleged incident with Michael Vaughan, the previous England and Yorkshire captain, forward of a T20 fixture towards Nottinghamshire in 2009.
The all-rounder claims that the captain stated to himself and three different Asian gamers, ‘there’s too lots of you lot. We have to have a phrase about that’.
‘On the time, I bear in mind being shocked and considering, ‘did he truly simply say that?”, recalled Rafiq.
‘I felt so disillusioned that I felt sick. After which I felt offended. However I used to be so decided to play for England that I simply tried to let it go. However I by no means forgot it.’
Vaughan utterly and categorically denies he stated the phrases.
In a press release to the Press Affiliation on Monday, the previous England captain stated: ‘I categorically deny saying the phrases attributed to me by Azeem Rafiq and wish to re-state this publicly as a result of the ‘you lot’ remark merely by no means occurred.
Former Yorkshire captain Tim Bresnan has additionally are available in for criticism from Rafiq
Rafiq made a proper criticism towards one other ex-Yorkshire captain and former England participant, Tim Bresnan, in 2017.
‘Tim would take part with and encourage Gary [Ballance] within the racist feedback and jokes that have been directed at me (for instance, feedback like ‘is that your uncle’s store?’), laughing alongside at such remarks,’ alleged Rafiq.
‘Tim was a senior participant who had performed for England. I imagine that if Tim had pulled Gary up, moderately than encouraging him, it might not have continued.’
And there may be additionally criticism of Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, which extends from a scarcity of pastoral care after the loss of life of his unborn son to holding again his growth as a participant.
‘I turned depressed and suicidal,’ stated Rafiq. ‘I felt that Martyn and the membership weren’t supporting my profession and have been actively taking selections which I felt have been discriminatory and have been limiting my alternatives. YCCC managed my profession and weren’t making selections in my finest pursuits.’
In his assertion to the tribunal, Rafiq stated he was motivated to return ahead and inform his story to the media in August 2020 partially due to the Black Lives Matter motion.
‘I felt an obligation to talk up for future generations of Asian cricketers, so they would not undergo what I did. I needed to ensure that we create the change that’s required to help them into skilled cricket and that they’ve a optimistic expertise within the sport,’ he stated.