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Yorkshire County Cricket Club have been handed a 48-point deduction in the 2023 County Championship, four points in the 2023 T20 Blast and have been fined GBP 400 thousand for the racism and discrimination scandal exposed by Azeem Rafiq in 2020. The player alleged an environment where racist language was common and where he was harassed by white players for this ethnic background, explaining the emotional toll this treatment had on him. The points penalty will see Yorkshire County drop to the bottom of Division two of the County Championship.
According to former captain Azeem Rafiq, there was not only a culture of harassment against ethnic players and peoples at the club but also regular use of slurs and racially charged language. In particular, he recalled being told to go back to where he came from, and being called an “elephant washer” and a “Paki”, which is a slur common in Britain against Pakistan ethnic people. Rafiq also alleged that the existing drinking culture in the Club worked against Muslim players because Islam forbids drinking alcohol.
Rafiq said, “I have spoken out about the racism I faced because I don’t want kids to go through what I did. I want to see kids starting off their journey in cricket in a culture of acceptance and respect, where they are judged on their talent and not on their culture and identity. I hope that the investigation will result in meaningful change at the club and in the sport.”
Yorkshire county accept sanctions; express disappointment with points ded uction
While the club accepted their faults and the sanctions, it also expressed disappointment with the CDC and ECB’s (England and Wales Cricket Board) decision to dock 48 points, stating that it would impact people involved with the club who had nothing to do with the racist abuse directed at Rafiq.
The club said, “We are accountable for these issues, and we accepted four amended charges as part of a continued commitment to ensure we are able to move forward. We are disappointed to receive the points deductions which affect players and staff at the club, who were not responsible for the situation. They have worked tirelessly on and off the field to rebuild Yorkshire into an inclusive and welcoming club that reflects the communities it serves.”
After an independent investigation, six ex-Yorkshire players were fined and banned for discriminatory behaviour. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was also tried, but was eventually cleared by the panel.
Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson said, “At least we know where we stand. We have four games left in the Championship this season," he said. "That's 96 points that we can play for. We'll try and win the next four games. That's all we're trying to do - win every game we play.”
