Moeen Ali, an England all-rounder, said that he was not surprised by Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism against Yorkshire Cricket Club, but he hopes the issue will lead to a change in the sports field.
Rafiq, a former captain of the England Under-19s and of Pakistani descent, said in September 2020 that he had received racist abuse and was made to feel like an outsider at Yorkshire.
The 30-year-old also admitted to having considered suicide.
Yorkshire was barred from hosting international or major matches by England’s cricket board last week as a result of their handling of Rafiq’s allegations, while former chairman Roger Hutton resigned and was replaced by Kamlesh Patel.
‘The fact that it has come out is great because it forces people to think about what they can and cannot say in terms of discrimination and understanding what people feel and go through in the future,’ Moeen said.
He added that what Azeem had done was not for personal gain. ‘I believe he wants change, which is what he’s pushing for,’ he told the reporters.
Yorkshire issued a statement in September acknowledging that Rafiq had been racially abused after a nearly year-long investigation into the allegations, but the club said the following month that no disciplinary action would be taken.
On November 16th, Rafiq and senior Yorkshire executives will testify before a parliamentary panel on Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
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