Former Somerset batsman Ashar Zaidi alleges racism in English County cricket

Young English fast bowler Craig Overton, who has been part of England's one-day squad had allegedly racially slured Pakistan born ex-Sussex player Ashar Zaidi during a County Championship match last season.

Overton allegedly told Zaidi to "get back to your own f****** country". The former Sussex batsman Ashar Zaidi has demanded an apology and accused Craig Overton for his recist comments.

The Karachi born player, who is currently without a club, did not hear the remark at the time, also revealed that Overton could not look him in the eye the day after the incident during a County Championship Division One match.

Zaid has accused the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) of leniency for only punishing Overton for a level one offence for using abusive language, the lowest sanction of its disciplinary code.

Yorkshire want clarification from the ECB, believing the treatment of Overton contrasts with the four-match ban Andrew Gale received in 2013 for telling Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince to “F*** off back to your country you Kolpak f***”.

Zaidi commented in this matter “I’m not in a position to say whether he was treated leniently but I was very surprised at his penalty. I have no problem with sledging. It happens and we all do it but what he said was too much. It was surprising also as he played alongside Abdur Rehman at Somerset.”

He owes me an apology: Ashar Zaidi

In an interview Zaidi said “When I heard what had happened I was fuming especially as that guy didn’t have the decency to come and apologise afterwards, At the next day’s play he didn’t look me in the eye and didn’t warm up with the rest of his team. Somerset officials came and spoke with me also. He owes me an apology. I've played all over England and never experienced such racist behaviour.”

Zaidi was born in Pakistan but has a British passport and played for many years in the Lancashire leagues. He now plays in the Dhaka Premier division for Gazi Tank Cricketers.