MEND Statement: Racism and Islamophobia at Yorkshire County Cricket Club

According to press reports, an internal investigation has revealed that Azeem Rafiq, former Yorkshire and England under 19 cricket captain, was the “victim of racial harassment and bullying”, having been subjected to institutional racist and Islamophobic abuse so severe that it reportedly left him close to taking his own life.

However, Yorkshire County Cricket Club has said it will not take disciplinary action against any employees, players, or management, even dismissing the use of the slur “P*ki” as “banter”.

With Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) upon us, It is #TimeForChange and for Islamophobia and racism within sport to be universally condemned and commitments made to tackle it.

As such, MEND joins political, sporting, and local community voices in calling for the board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club to resign. We further welcome the ECB’s recently announced investigation, as well as the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee calling the chairman of Yorkshire Cricket Club before them to answer questions.