- Friday, April 26, 2024
Yorkshire, Leicestershire, and Kent have voiced their disappointment after not being granted Tier 1 status by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for hosting professional women's cricket teams from 2025. This decision, reported by the BBC, has led to a notable backlash from these counties. While Yorkshire and Glamorgan…
THE senior official accused of downplaying allegations of racism made by former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq called for a “line in the sand” to be drawn last Friday (2), after members approved his return as chairman of the financially stricken English county club. Colin Graves, Yorkshire’s chairman from 2012- 2015,…
THE senior official accused of downplaying allegations of racism made by former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq is set to return for a second stint as chairman of the financially stricken English county club. Colin Graves, Yorkshire's chairman from 2012-2015 having first saved the club from commercial collapse in 2002, was…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (4) announced it had set up an independent cricket regulator after a damning report revealed racism, sexism, classism and elitism in the sport. The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published its findings in June, revealing “widespread” discrimination in the…
A TRUSTEE of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation has been removed from his role over his anti-Semitic comments on social media. Amjad Bashir, appointed to the role in March this year, accused Israel of being involved in violence, “slavery and “ethnic cleansing”. His comments came amid the escalating conflict between Israel…
AN INDEPENDENT regulator and investment in talent pathways for children from disadvantaged backgrounds are among the initiatives that will be implemented by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in its efforts to make cricket more inclusive, after a report found widespread discrimination across the sport. The ECB published its…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has failed to step up and investigate why Lord Ian Botham trashed an independent report which found cricket to be racist and misogynist, according to those close to the sport. Eastern Eye has spoken to several prominent cricket sources who have accused the…
YORKSHIRE County Cricket Club were slapped with a huge 48-point deduction in the English County Championship on Friday (28) after admitting four charges related to the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal. The independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) also fined the club £400,000, out of which £300,000 is suspended for two years.…
The former Yorkshire chairman, Colin Graves, has been criticised by England cricket chiefs for claiming that incidents of racism at his former club were “banter”. Last month, six former Yorkshire players who were found guilty of using racist language in the Azeem Rafiq case, were fined by the Cricket Discipline…
England fast bowler Jofra Archer was ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League on Tuesday (9) in a fresh injury blow ahead of the Ashes. His franchise the Mumbai Indians said the 28-year-old will be replaced by England team-mate Chris Jordan. Archer only returned to international cricket in January…
MICHAEL VAUGHAN's lawyer said allegations of racism made against the former England captain by Azeem Rafiq are "word against word" at a hearing in London on Thursday (2). Pakistan-born Rafiq, 32, first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire County Cricket…
FORMER England international Tim Bresnan is accused of making a racist remark towards the sister of Azeem Rafiq, according to allegations made in a hearing into the racism controversy at Yorkshire County Cricket Club that began on Wednesday (1). Rafiq claimed he experienced racial abuse while playing for Yorkshire county…
YORKSHIRE have confirmed documents and data relating to allegations of racism against the county cricket club were deleted or lost during the tenure of a previous regime. Yorkshire had admitted to four amended charges brought by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after an investigation into racism claims by…
A “small and privileged” unnamed racist group has cost Yorkshire County Cricket Club millions of pounds in sponsorship and legal fees, and it is one of the reasons why Lord Patel of Bradford is walking away from the game he loves. In an exclusive interview, Patel told Eastern Eye that…
Former England captain Michael Vaughan will defend himself against racism allegations made by his former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq while other individuals have opted out of the disciplinary hearing next month.Former Yorkshire player and bowling coach Richard Pyrah conveyed to officials he would not attend the hearing by the Cricket…
Yorkshire County Cricket Club has admitted liability to four amended charges including a failure to address and take adequate action against racist and discriminatory language, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday (7). Yorkshire and a number of individuals were charged by the ECB in June after…
Lord Kamlesh Patel will step down from his role as Yorkshire County Cricket Club chairman in March, the club said on Friday. Patel, 62, took over from Roger Hutton in November 2021 with the club in crisis and was tasked with navigating them through a racism scandal involving Azeem Rafiq.…
REHAN AHMED’S journey to becoming England’s youngest-ever male Test cricketer is amazing. He is, no doubt, an inspiration. The support he has received from his family, his immediate community and in particular, from Leicestershire County Cricket Club, has been immense. What he has achieved is just reward for the hard…
Former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq said cricket is still "in denial" over racism which drove him out of the UK.Rafiq, 31, appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Tuesday more than a year after he gave evidence about the racism he faced when he was playing…
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it has taken key steps to review and improve its policies to become more inclusive, establishing game-wide communities for under-represented groups and ensuring fair recruitment to strengthen its inclusion and diversity strategy.It said the game came together to commit to faster actions…
Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq is set to leave the UK with his family because of “safety reasons” in a move he said, “breaks me”. He has complained of in-person and online abuse after he raised allegations of racism and bullying during his two stints in Yorkshire County Cricket Club.…
Merchant Taylors' School, one of England's premier independent schools located in Northwood, is set to come up with a new cricket facility for not only the institution but also the wider cricket community aimed at transforming indoor cricket provision in the region and emerge as one of the best of…
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Thursday (29) set out the continued progress that cricket is making in its commitment to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, at all levels of the game. Since the announcement of cricket’s game-wide action plan in November 2021, the ECB has continued to…
Yorkshire is believed to have begun paying off its former employees who were dismissed over the racism scandal in the county cricket club.The club ended its legal battle with Liz Neto, who it fired as head of human resources, by reaching an out-of-court settlement with him, The Telegraph reported.The settlement…
Warwickshire County Cricket Club has decided to deploy undercover spotters to Edgbaston Stadium in its renewed bid to check racist abuse of fans.The club’s pledge follows complaints of racist slurs hurled at India supporters and the inaction of stewards during a Test match between England and India last week.The venue…
THE Leicestershire County Cricket Club has partnered with Morningside Pharmaceuticals to help charities and good causes showcase their work during games, as part of a new sponsorship agreement. The Loughborough-based medicines manufacturer has continued as an Official Partner for the 2022 campaign, and has secured exclusive naming rights to the…
ENGLAND cricketer Moeen Ali has said that the participation of British Asians in football at the professional level is minuscule in the country, according to a report. Asian involvement in UK cricket is healthy even in the backdrop of allegations by former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq in which he claimed…
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has decided to step back from his commentary at BBC amid the "ongoing dialogue" around him for making racist comments ahead of a Yorkshire cricket game in 2009. Vaughan believes his decision to step down is the best thing for the game of cricket.…
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is believed to have charged prolific Scottish cricketer John Blain in its investigation into the allegations of racism surrounding Yorkshire County Cricket Club.The board had said last week that Yorkshire and a "number of individuals" were charged but had not named anyone.During his…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has charged Yorkshire cricket club and seven people for bringing the game into disrepute over racism allegations, according to a report. However, the board has chosen not to name the individuals, the Sky News reported. The ECB began an investigation in 2021 after…
YORKSHIRE County Cricket Club chair Lord Kamlesh Patel said a “very small minority” of people at the organisation are still in denial about what went wrong with it.Yorkshire members approved a package of reforms last month following a racism scandal, paving the way for lucrative England matches to be played…
Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi is returning home immediately ahead of next month's one-day international series against the West Indies, Middlesex County Cricket Club announced on Thursday. Shaheen was due to leave the county side in early June to prepare for his international commitments but the club said they supported…
INDIA's Clean Slate Studioz has unveiled a series of new initiatives as part of its principal partnership deal with Yorkshire county cricket club including funding free cricket kits for young female cricketers. The announcements were made during the official unveiling of the Clean Slate branding on the east stand and…
English county cricket club Gloucestershire announced on Friday they had signed former Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir on a three-match deal. The 30-year-old, who played 36 Tests, 61 one-day internationals and 50 Twenty20s, will be available for Gloucestershire's County Championship division one games against Surrey, Hampshire and Somerset. Amir will provide…
In 1999, a court found a brother and mother guilty of murdering a 19-year-old Muslim woman. While he strangled her, their mother sat on her legs. Her crime was to be carrying the baby of her childhood sweetheart while her husband, by forced marriage, was in Pakistan. The story of…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will charge up to 12 former Yorkshire staff in connection with the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, it was reported on Monday (11). The ECB announced their investigation into Yorkshire's handling of Rafiq's allegations in November 2021 after receiving the club's report on the…
ACTRESS Anushka Sharma's brother Karnesh Ssharma and partner Amreesh Chandra's streaming platform Clean Slate Studioz will be the new principal sponsor at Headingley for the 2022 season. The Indian firm will also become the new Principal Partner for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Two-year deal fills the naming-rights slot vacated by…
YORKSHIRE County Cricket Club (YCCC) aspires to be a "beacon of hope" for diversity in English cricket, its chairman Kamlesh Patel has said. The club was rocked by a racism scandal last year after Azeem Rafiq, a former England under-19 captain of Pakistani descent, alleged that he had been a…
YORKSHIRE County Cricket Club can continue to host international cricket at Headingley after its members voted in favour of governance reforms on Thursday (31), meeting the conditions set out by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Yorkshire were barred from staging internationals in the wake of a racism scandal…
YORKSHIRE CRICKET CLUB is in soup again as four former employees have taken the county to the court. It is believed the legal dispute could hit the finances of the club after staff were sacked following former player Azeem Rafiq's testimonial on racist abuse he faced at the club during…
THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) lifted an international match ban on Yorkshire County Cricket Club on Friday (11) subject to further requirements, in the wake of a racism scandal involving former player Azeem Rafiq. Yorkshire were barred from hosting any international games after Rafiq, a player of Pakistani…
AZEEM RAFIQ’S treatment at Yorkshire and the subsequent racism storm that engulfed English cricket can be a “watershed moment” for the game to addresses its mistakes and make meaningful long-term changes, according to the journalist who the cricketer first spoke to about his ordeal. James Buttler, of the Cricket Badger…
FEW Commons inquiries have had so dramatic an impact as the Culture Select Committee’s probe into racism in cricket published last week. Just announcing the hearings had proved a crucial tipping point towards regime change at Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), once the chair and chief executive has been invited…
ENGLISH cricket club Yorkshire announced on Wednesday (19) they had appointed former West Indies allrounder Ottis Gibson as their new head coach on a three-year deal. The 52-year-old replaces Andrew Gale, who left the county club along with the rest of the coaching staff in the fallout from a damaging…
The chair of Yorkshire cricket has urged south Asian communities to trust that his team and he will stamp out racism at the club. Lord Patel of Bradford was speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye after the culture, media and sport select committee concluded there was “deep-seated racism in cricket”. The…
PUBLIC MONEY should be withheld from cricket unless the sport makes clear progress in rooting out "deep-seated" racism brought to light by a scandal at Yorkshire, British lawmakers said on Friday (14). Former player Azeem Rafiq, 30, delivered harrowing testimony to MPs in November in which he said his career…
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has signed for Sussex for a large part of the 2022 season, the English county cricket club announced on Thursday. Rizwan will join the club following Australia’s tour of Pakistan, which ends in early April, and will be available for both first-class County Championship fixtures and…
A NEW drive by motorsport bosses to make the sport more racially diverse led by Lewis Hamilton has been backed by campaigners. The Motorsport UK governing body held a conference in November in Bicester, Oxfordshire, to discuss the lack of BAME people employed in the sport. Its Racial Diversity Sub…
All members of Yorkshire's coaching team have left, including director of cricket Martyn Moxon and coach Andrew Gale, the club said on Friday as it vowed to regain trust and rebuild after being rocked by allegations of institutional racism. First team coach and former captain Gale was suspended last month…
BT Sport has said it will not use former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan in its upcoming coverage of the Ashes series following allegations of racism made by Azeem Rafiq. English cricket has been rocked by racism revelations from Pakistan-born Rafiq. He recently gave harrowing testimony to lawmakers in which…
FORMER England captain Michael Vaughan denied making a racist remark when he was skipper of Yorkshire but told the BBC on Saturday (27) he apologises to his accuser ex-teammate Azeem Rafiq if he was "responsible for any of his hurt". English cricket has been rocked by revelations of racism from…
AZEEM RAFIQ’S testimony in parliament offered powerful, harrowing and persuasive proof that issues of racism in Yorkshire cricket were sustained, deep-rooted and reflected an institutional failure of culture, leadership and governance. Within days, Rafiq was himself apologising, as anti-Semitic social media messages [he had sent as a teenager] surfaced, using…
SAJID JAVID said he was racially abused almost every day at school when he was growing up, as he urged the ECB to "take a long, hard look at themselves" after the racism scandal rocked the sport. The health secretary was asked about the racism scandal at the Yorkshire County…
FORMER England batsman Alex Hales apologised for an old photo showing him in blackface at a fancy dress party, saying on Friday it was "incredibly reckless and foolish". The Sun newspaper published the image on Thursday (18) and said it had been taken at a New Year's Eve party in…
ENGLISH county club Essex pledged on Monday (15) to investigate fresh allegations of historical racism made by their former Jamaican-born fast bowler Maurice Chambers. Chambers, who played for Essex between 2005 and 2013, told The Cricketer that he was so upset by the racist bullying he faced at the county…
A whistleblowing hotline will be opened on Monday by Yorkshire County Cricket club for victims of discrimination. The decision to open up the hotline was announced last Monday by the Club's new chair Lord Patel, and has urged other victims to "come forward and share their experiences". Patel says hearing…
ESSEX chief executive John Stephenson has said he is "extremely shocked and saddened" by allegations the club's former batsman Zoheb Sharif received racist abuse that included being called "bomber" by his teammates. Sharif, whose parents were born in Pakistan, played for Essex between 2001 and 2004. He said the slur…
YORKSHIRE chief executive Mark Arthur has resigned with immediate effect in the latest fallout from the allegations of institutional racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq, the club said in a statement on Thursday (11). The club have appointed Paul Hudson as interim chief executive. "Today (11 November) the Board…
A hilly landscape dotted with serried terraced housing, mill chimneys, church spires and mosque minarets reflects the industrial past and multicultural present of Bradford. But a racism row at local county cricket team Yorkshire has shattered trust between the club and its diverse fanbase in the northern English city. Yorkshire…
ENGLAND captain Joe Root on Thursday demanded change after a racism row engulfed Yorkshire County Cricket Club, saying the events had "fractured our game and torn lives apart". Root, who is currently in Australia leading England's Ashes preparations, issued his statement following weeks of escalating pressure at the club he…
Cricket’s governing body, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), must immediately investigate racism at all levels of the sport. That is the demand from Bradford West MP, Naz Shah. Speaking exclusively to Eastern Eye, Shah said that the game was institutionally, structurally and systemically racist, and the problem went…
By Sunder Katwala Director, British Future thinktank ‘That word – the ‘P**i’ word – has real meaning for me. I don’t need to be told it’s not banter’, said Lord Kamlesh Patel, after becoming the new chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club because the county’s leadership lost all confidence in…
THE leader of Leeds City Council has condemned the response from Yorkshire County Cricket Club as “totally unacceptable” following racism allegations from a former player. It follows claims this week that the club had dismissed racial taunts from former teammates of Azeem Rafiq as “banter”, which drew condemnation this week…
THE BBC has dropped former England captain Michael Vaughan from a radio show next Monday (8) after he was named in a report looking into allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire made by former player Azeem Rafiq, the broadcaster said on Friday (5). In a column for The Telegraph on…
ENGLAND'S limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan wants the cricket board to tackle the Yorkshire racism row "head on", insisting there was no place for any kind of discrimination against any player. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been rocked by former player Azeem Rafiq's allegation of racism at Yorkshire…
YORKSHIRE County Cricket Club chairman Roger Hutton has resigned with immediate effect following the club's handling of allegations of racism by former player Azeem Rafiq, the BBC has reported on Friday. Rafiq, a player of Pakistani descent and a former captain of the England Under-19s, said last year he was…
A British Asian member of the panel has stood by its findings after Azeem Rafiq was called a P**I by former England batter, Gary Ballance. In a investigation, the panel ruled it as ‘banter’ despite them being condemned but Boris Johnson and other members of the cabinet. Mesba Ahmed, a…
Azeem Rafiq demanded on Thursday (4) sweeping changes at his former club Yorkshire and cricket as a whole, in a deepening racism row that has cost the county side a host of sponsors. The county offered the 30-year-old Pakistan-born off-spinner "profound and unreserved apologies" in a report into his allegations…
Cricket had promised to have a reckoning with racism, and to embark on a new era of inclusion, in the wake of the anti-racism protests of last summer. [caption id="attachment_146207" align="alignright" width="300"] Sunder Katwala[/caption] Yet the game is now going backwards before it goes forwards. The bungling of an anti-racism…
YORKSHIRE is facing the heat from the UK political figures over the handling of Azeem Rafiq's allegations of racism, with the health secretary Saji Javid calling for "heads to roll". Javid, son of Pakistani immigrants, was among the group of MPs angry by a report published in ESPNcricinfo on Monday…
AN unnamed senior cricketer at Yorkshire club has admitted regularly calling Azeem Rafiq 'P**i' but was cleared of any wrongdoing on the basis it was "good natured banter between friends". Yorkshire County last week said no disciplinary action was needed against any employees after conducting an independent inquiry into Rafiq's…
YORKSHIRE will take no disciplinary action against any of its employees, players or executives following the independent report after allegations of racism by their former player, Azeem Rafiq. The cricket county club on September 10 released a summarised version of the report, where it apologised and accepted Rafiq had been…
PAKISTAN pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has signed to play for Middlesex for the 2022 season, the English county cricket club announced on Wednesday (6). The 21-year-old giant left-arm quick will play first-class and white-ball cricket for the club until he joins up with Pakistan for international duty in mid-July.…
ENGLISH county cricket club Gloucestershire have apologised "unreservedly" to retired Test bowler David Lawrence for failing to investigate incidents of racist abuse he suffered while playing for them. Lawrence recounted the incidents in a Sky Sports documentary about the experiences of black cricket players and officials in England and Wales…
MPs have called on Yorkshire to publish the findings of the club's report into allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq. According to the report which was published by the county last month said that several of the allegations made by Rafiq had been upheld and also found…
AFTER an independent report upheld some of Azeem Rafiq's allegations, Yorkshire have issued 'profound apologies' to the former player of the county. In a statement, Yorkshire said Rafiq was "the victim of inappropriate behaviour", which they have described as "clearly unacceptable". But in response, Rafiq has accused the county of…
A county cricket club has put its players on an 'enhanced education' course after 10-year-old offensive tweets were unearthed. Lancashire County Cricket Club condemned the tweets and has launched an internal probe after it found last month that more than 50 historical tweets were made by five players, dating back…
WHEN Pakistan and England take the field at Edgbaston in the third ODI of their bilateral series on July 13, the Warwickshire County Cricket Club intends to make it an occasion to celebrate the Pakistan culture. Its CEO Stuart Cain said it will be an opportunity to celebrate the UK’s…
AFTER accusing Yorkshire of institutionalised racism, the county cricket club launched an investigation. It has been months now, Azeem Rafiq has heard nothing. "I spoke out and I thought it would be the start of a healing process but it's been anything but that," the 30-year-old told Sportsmail. "It's been…
COUNTY cricket club, Surrey wants to host Indian Premier League (IPL) in London and other parts of England, which could be a big boost to the cash-strapped domestic games. Surrey hopes to bring the lucrative franchise based cricket league to its home ground, Kia Oval, and also to other Test…
By Amit Roy ENGLAND and Yorkshire legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott is selling off part of his cricket memorabilia, including a bat inscribed, “Used by me on 11th Aug 1977 at Headingley, Leeds England v Australia when I scored my 100th century”. It reads on: “Eventually I was out for 191…
PAKISTAN-ORIGIN former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq will appear in a documentary series commissioned by Cricket Australia about experiences of suffering racial abuse. A few months ago, Rafiq,29, in an interview with Taha Hashim of Wisden revealed how he experienced racism during his stint at the Yorkshire County Cricket club. He…
TWO British Asian men have featured on the list of 36 nominees elevated to the House of Lords. While Aamer A. Sarfraz, is a social entrepreneur and treasurer of the Conservative Party, was part of the dissolution peerages list, academic Prem Sikka was nominated by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Sarfraz…
LANCASHIRE County Cricket Club are aiming to win the hearts of Indian fans as they look to build on a record-breaking financial year despite the impending impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Lancashire reported the best-ever Ebitda -- £7.6 million -- for a first-class county in its annual financial report for…
The Indian and England cricket teams united to recognise the role of Indian soldiers during the First World War as part of a British armed forces charity’s movement, with the two squad captains, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, wearing a unique poppy made from khadi. Khadi is the handwoven cotton…
The Indian and England cricket teams have united to recognise the role of Indian soldiers during the First World War as part of a British armed forces charity's movement, with the two squad captains, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, wearing a unique poppy made out of Khadi. Khadi is the…
Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal rejected rumours Wednesday (12) that he quit English county cricket club Essex because of a hate crime targeting his family and said it was down to personal reasons. The 28-year-old opening batsman cut ties with Essex after just one match, but dismissed suggestions his sudden departure was…
Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal has left English County Essex after just one match for personal reasons the club revealed on Tuesday (11). The 28-year-old -- Bangladesh's highest international run scorer with more than 10,000 to his name in all forms of the game -- signed only last week for…
A 34-year-old Pakistani man, who clubbed his wife with a cricket bat and forced her to drink bleach, has been jailed for 18 months after a judge said he was "fundamentally misled" by the cricketer. Judge Richard Mansell was reviewing his own previous non-custodial sentence at Manchester Crown Court and…
A 34-year-old Pakistani cricketer in the UK who brutally beat his wife with a bat and made her drink bleach has been spared jail time as the judge noted that the victim was not "vulnerable", triggering widespread protests in the country. Mustafa Bashir's legal team had claimed that prison would…