ECB press charges against Yorkshire and club members in Azeem Rafiq racism case

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pressed several charges against a number of individuals at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club on Wednesday. The governing body underlined that it had conducted a detailed investigation to levy the charges on the county.

The charges pertain to the case of Azeem Rafiq, who accused the club of institutional racism in September 2020 during an interview with ESPNCricinfo and confessed to feeling suicidal. The accused, who have not been named, could face a ban or fine from the ECB.

In a statement, England's apex cricket body said:

"In matters of this nature, our normal practice is not to identify individuals charged at this stage. It is standard practice for the cricket discipline commission disciplinary panel to publish its decisions and written reasons in full following the hearing."

Since Rafiq's allegations came to light, 16 members of the staff have left the club, prompting a revamp of its senior leadership officials. Yorkshire have also faced charges for flouting anti-racism rules.

The ECB expects the hearings to take place in September or October and the case's verdict is likely to get published following the decision.

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"I welcome today's announcement by the ECB and hope we can move to the hearing quickly" - Azeem Rafiq

Azeem Rafiq in a game for Yorkshire. (Image Credits: Getty)

Rafiq feels relieved by the board's decision and hopes the hearing takes place quickly. The 31-year-old doesn't want other young players to undergo such experiences and is hopeful that the hearing takes place publicly.

The BBC quoted Azeem Rafiq saying:

"I welcome today's announcement by the ECB and hope we can move to the hearing quickly. This has been another gruelling but unfortunately necessary process. It has been a long two years since I went public about my experiences, but I hope this all means that no young player ever goes through such pain and alienation again."

He added:

"My preference would be for this hearing to take place publicly, but I am hopeful that we are at least nearing a point where there will be some sense of closure for my family and me."

The former Yorkshire player also appeared at a hearing conducted by the DCMS committee, where he revealed the names of players and officials who took part in the racial discrimination. They included former England batter Gary Ballance.

The all-rounder, who has represented England in age-group cricket, has featured in 39 first-class and 35 List A matches. He has picked up 115 wickets and has scored 1125 runs.