English cricket has been plunged into a racism scandal over the last few weeks as allegations of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club have been exposed.
Azeem Rafiq, who made his last appearance for Yorkshire in 2018, has been fighting for his allegations of institutional racism at the club which left him “on the brink of suicide” to be recognised since September 2020.
Several other former Yorkshire cricketers from ethnic minority backgrounds have also made allegations of institutional racism since Rafiq’s allegations became widely known.
Yorkshire’s investigation of Rafiq’s claims dismissed racial harassment as “friendly banter” and most controversially came to the conclusion that despite finding he had been a victim of racial harassment, no individual would face disciplinary action.
That decision has been pulled apart in the last two weeks as current player Gary Balance and head coach/former captain Andrew Gale have both been suspended amid allegations of racism against them in the report.
In the words of England test captain and current Yorkshire player Joe Root, the scandal has “fractured our game and torn lives apart”.
Whilst Yorkshire has been the focus of criticism by fans, players and even MPs over the last weeks, racism scandals have dogged English cricket and the wider international game for years.
This summer, historic racist tweets from England bowler Ollie Robinson threatened to derail his England career after just one match.
Star pace bowler Jofra Archer has also detailed the racist abuse he has received from fans during both overseas matches and via social media.
Powerful statements from Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Holding about the discrimination they faced whilst playing cricket in England during their careers went viral last year and shone the spotlight firmly onto the English game.
However, the reality of a domestic game that fosters racist behaviour and silences its victims does not match up with the image presented by its player leaders, particularly in the T20 team competing in the World Cup over the last month.
Eoin Morgan’s side have been held up as role models for diversity in the game and have hailed having players with heritage from all over the globe as their greatest strength.
Morgan said as much this week: “We feel comfortable within our own skin to play great cricket on the field but also to be really strong role models.”
The successes of players such as Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer have created a blueprint for how an inclusive environment can be fostered and further the success of any English cricket team.
The parallel images of a domestic game repeatedly caught up in racism scandals and a national game with outstanding role models for diversity are at odds.
It is the players leading from the front in English cricket who are being let down by the power structures which surround them.
Only with meaningful change to these structures will the later image become the only reality, and the pain and upheaval Azeem Rafiq and so many others have experienced be vindicated.
As Rafiq has said numerous times on his social media, he is pursuing his allegations in order for actual change to be achieved in English cricket, so that “our kids have a game and society that respects everyone”.
The ECB must now take the lead so that Rafiq and so many other’s hopes for the future of the English game can be realised.
