Azeem Rafiq accused of sending 'vulgar' and 'creepy' messages to a teenager six years ago

Former Yorkshire cricketer and anti-racism whistleblower Azeem Rafiq has landed himself in a fresh controversy. Rafiq, 30, has been accused of sending 'creepy' messages to then-teenager Gayathri Ajith six years ago.

According to a report published in the Yorkshire Post, Ajith, who was 16 at the time, has accused Rafiq of sending 'vulgar' messages on WhatsApp, three months after they met on a flight from Manchester to Dubai in September 2015.

Ms. Ajith said she agreed to have a vodka cake with Rafiq on the flight but refused to go out for dinner with him in Dubai.

Screenshots of messages sent in December 2015 from a number belonging to Rafiq, read:

"u know what I wanted to do on the plane?" and "I want to grab you push u up against wall and kiss you."

When Ms. Ajith said, "do you realise that I'm only 17?" Rafiq asked, "Does tht mean it not allowed to want to kiss me," and “,Wud u have let me kiss u?”

Ajith, who is now 22, described Rafiq's messages as 'vulgar' and 'creepy' as she narrated the ordeal to the Yorkshire Post. She said:

“I was just kind of shocked by the crudity of those messages. They were just so vulgar."

Such was her ordeal that she even asked Rafiq:

"How do I know that you're no some absolute pervert?"

This is not the first time Rafiq has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier this week, he apologized publicly after some anti-Semitic messages from 2011 came to light.

"He's calling for equality and respect, but why is he not embodying that in all aspects?" Gayathri Ajith on Azeem Rafiq

Before his anti-Semitic messages came to light, Azeem had nearly achieved cult status in the world of cricket for bringing to light the rampant 'institutionalised racism' in Yorkshire cricket.

In a staggering testimony, Rafiq named several current and former cricketers and coaches for their racist behavior towards Asian cricketers. While Ajith does not dispute racism claims made by Rafiq, she has accused the cricketer of not practicing what he is preaching.

She said:

“I'm not disputing any of his racism claims because I'm sure they're very true experiences. But certain aspects of what he said just don't really sit right with me. If he was being forced to drink by his teammates, then surely that wouldn’t then mean he would be drinking alone on a flight and encouraging a 17-year-old girl to be drinking with him."

She added:

“His behaviour towards me was a direct contradiction really of what he said in his testimony. He's calling for equality and respect, but why is he not embodying that in all aspects? Especially in his tone towards women. It’s hypocrisy. He is being put on this pedestal for inciting systemic change, but he's really contributing to the problem of the vulgar attitudes towards women."

A spokesperson to Rafiq told the Yorkshire Post:

“This was put to us late on a Friday evening. We need to look into this so cannot comment further for now.”

It will be interesting to see if Rafiq makes a public statement regarding the same in the coming days.