Equality chiefs launch investigation of Yorkshire cricket bosses under human rights law over ‘P***’ racism row as Michael Vaughan is dropped by BBC over claims he called Asian players ‘you lot’
- Equality and Human Rights Commission have asked Yorkshire for information
- Chief executive Marcial Boo said he is ‘very concerned’ by allegations of racism
- Gary Ballance admitted calling teammate Azeem Rafiq a ‘p***’ in club report
- Michael Vaughan denied claims he made racist remark as he battles to save job
Equality chiefs are probing Yorkshire Cricket Club for its failure to crack down on ‘bullying and racial harassment’ from its own report amid fresh allegations of abuse.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission have asked the club for information and could enforce a legally binding agreement which could result in court action if it is not adhered to.
The organisation’s chief executive Marcial Boo said: ‘As Britain’s equality regulator, we are deeply concerned about the incidents of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Equality chiefs are probing Yorkshire Cricket Club for its failure to crack down on ‘bullying and racial harassment’ from its own report amid fresh allegations of abuse. Pictured: Gary Ballance with Azeem Rafiq
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s chief executive Marcial Boo (pictured) said he is ‘deeply concerned’ with the claims
‘We have written to YCCC to ask for more information, including a full copy of their investigation report, to determine if there has been a breach of the law. We will take action if so.
‘All employers have a duty to protect their employees from bullying and harassment. We met the English Cricket Board in April to discuss how this can be achieved in the sport.’
The investigation was sparked by Yorkshire clearing Gary Ballance of any wrongdoing after he was found to have called his teammate Azeem Rafiq a ‘p***’ in the club’s own report.
The growing scandal, which has now embroiled former England captain Michael Vaughan, has led to calls for chief executive Mark Arthur and director of cricket Martyn Moxon to follow outgoing chairman Roger Hutton in resigning.
Michael Vaughan is battling to save his reputation after former Yorkshire player Rana Naved ul-Hasan supported Azeem Rafiq’s claim that the ex-England captain made a racist comment towards Asian players in 2009
Vaughan was named in the Rafiq report — but denied claims that he told a group of Yorkshire players with Asian heritage that there were ‘too many of you lot’
It comes amid fresh claims of racism at the club after another player of Asian heritage said he was the victim of numerous instances of racist abuse, ‘both blatant and sly’, during his time at the club in the early 2000s and said: ‘I had a player p*ss on my head’.
The player, who has asked not to be named because he does not want his family to know what he endured, left the club disillusioned after saying he didn’t receive the same opportunities as white cricketers. He also says he was told his allegations would be looked into, which they never were.
In a statement that has not been made public but has been seen by Sportsmail, the player says it took him ‘several years to get myself together’ after his experiences at Yorkshire.
He added: ‘Everyone in the Asian cricketing community has known Yorkshire County Cricket Club is racist, yet somehow they have been able to cunningly continue with their agenda.
‘There are many Asian cricketers like myself who have had their careers ruined, but have moved on and taken the treatment on the chin. I salute them all, as it can’t have been easy.’
On Wednesday, Ballance apologised but not before sponsors began cutting ties with the county and the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended international matches at Headingley, the club’s ground.
The club’s new chair Lord Patel of Bradford is hoping to rebuild the club and says he has personally been affected by racism while growing up.
Patel, 61, arrived with his family in Yorkshire from Kenya in the early 1960s and credited his childhood love of cricket for turning him into a successful public figure.
He was made a life peer and served as a minister in Gordon Brown’s Labour government.
Lord Kamlesh Patel, pictured, has been appointed the new head of Yorkshire cricket in an effort to lead the club out of its current crisis
He told ESPNcricinfo: ‘When I was a boy I developed into a very fast runner.
‘Do you know why? Because gangs of skinheads used to delight in what they called P**i-bashing and you either learned to run or you took a beating.
‘So that word – the P**i word – has real meaning for me. I don’t need to be told it’s not banter.’
Amid the growing storm, coach Andrew Gale has been accused of sending an anti-Semitic tweet when he was captain of the club.
Gale sent a tweet to Leeds United’s then head of media Paul Dews in 2010 that included the words ‘button it y**!’, Jewish News reported yesterday.
The Yorkshire coach said he was ‘completely unaware’ of the offensive nature of the term when he sent the tweet, which was deleted soon after it was posted.
A man in a flat cap next to a sign that reads ‘YCCC racists shame our county and game’ that is displayed in a bus stop near Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s Headingley Stadium
‘This post is part of a conversational thread between Paul Dews and myself,’ said Gale. ‘The reference is to a chant that was prevalent at the time towards Leeds fans.
‘Within a few minutes of the post Paul called me and explained the meaning of the word and that it was offensive to Jews. I was completely unaware of this meaning and deleted it immediately. I would never have used that word had I been aware of its offensive meaning and I haven’t used it since.’
Meanwhile Michael Vaughan is battling to save his reputation after former Yorkshire player Rana Naved ul-Hasan supported Azeem Rafiq’s claim that the ex-England captain made a racist comment towards Asian players in 2009.
Vaughan was later stood down from Monday’s Tuffers and Vaughan Show on BBC Radio 5 Live.
All-rounder Rana Naved ul-Hasan played for the county in the 2008-09 season and claims that he was on the field when Vaughan allegedly told a group of Yorkshire’s British Asian stars — said to include Rafiq, Adil Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad — ‘Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it’.
Gary Ballance apologised after calling his former team-mate Rafiq a ‘P***’ — an epithet Yorkshire concluded was part of ‘friendly and good-natured banter’.
Vaughan completely and categorically denied the accusations on Thursday in his Daily Telegraph column. In the article, he had described reading the allegations that had been made about him as like being struck over the head with a brick.
The differing versions of events mean it is still not known what exactly occurred. But in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail, Naved expressed ‘shock’ at the former England captain’s denial and claimed there are ‘lots of racists at Yorkshire’.
Naved said: ‘Yes, yes, it’s true but he (Vaughan) has denied it. I’m very shocked about that, it’s true what Rafiq has alleged. He (Vaughan) was there, I was there and he used those words and he’s denied it. He definitely said it, I’m sure.
‘I was really shocked—- why is he denying these things? He was a senior player who played for England as well and he’s a very responsible man, but he’s denying it. Rafiq is right. That’s why I’m backing him, he’s right. I’m not thinking, ‘Oh I’m Asian, Rafiq’s also Asian so I’ll back him’. No — I’m telling you the truth.’
The former Pakistan star was asked why he did not complain immediately and added: ‘I did nothing at the time because I was a professional player then. As Muslims, we just try and play cricket and be fair.
‘I’m reacting now because it’s a true story and he’s denied it.
‘He was a senior player at the time, captain or vice-captain as well and we respect the senior people. That’s why I ignored it. Those words are not good for us, especially Asian people.’
How the Yorkshire Cricket Club scandal unfolded and what will happen next
2008-2018: Azeem Rafiq spends 10 years at Yorkshire CCC, becoming their youngest-ever captain and first of Asian origin in 2012.
September 2020: Yorkshire launch investigation as Rafiq reveals that ‘deep-rooted’ racism at the club left him ‘close to committing suicide’. ‘I would regularly come home from training and cry all day,’ he said. Accusations included people saying there was ‘too many of you lot’ referring to Rafiq and Asian team-mates.
December 2020: Rafiq files legal claim against the county, claiming he suffered ‘direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, as well as victimisation and detriment as a result of his efforts to address racism at the club’.
June 2021: Report is delayed and Rafiq’s lawyer says the pushbacks ‘create a lack of faith in the entire process’. Employment tribunal is held but parties fail to resolve the dispute.
August 2021: Yorkshire issue ‘profound apologies’ to Rafiq as report finds he was ‘the victim of inappropriate behaviour’. But they do not accept the claim of institutional racism – Rafiq accuses the county of ‘fudging’ his claims and promised he was ‘not going away’.
September 2021: ECB are ‘very concerned’ with the summary of the panel’s findings, with Yorkshire admitting Rafiq was the victim of ‘racial harassment and bullying’.
But just seven of the 43 allegations made are upheld, with Yorkshire saying they do not intend to publish a full report.
October 2021: Yorkshire say they will not take disciplinary action against any of its employees following the report. Rafiq writes on Twitter that the club is ’embarrassing’, saying it gives a ‘green light’ to racism.
This week: Details of the report are published by ESPNcricinfo, including a senior player’s admission that he repeatedly used the word ‘P***’ in reference to Rafiq, which was deemed ‘banter’. Health secretary Sajid Javid said ‘heads should roll’, with the Prime Minister asking the ECB to investigate.
This week: MailOnline reveals the player was Rafiq’s former Yorkshire team-mate, England batsman Gary Ballance. Sponsors Anchor Butter, Yorkshire Tea and Emerald all cut ties with the club.
What’s next?: Rafiq, Yorkshire now ex-chairman Roger Hutton and director of cricket Martyn Moxon will give evidence to the DCMS committee on November 16. ‘Time for the full truth,’ said Rafiq on Tuesday.
Yorkshire are facing commercial pressure with sponsors ending association, while legal claims are still not resolved.
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