"It wasn’t often this blatant, it was more subtle - a constant chirping or reminder that we were different and not really ‘Yorkshire men.’ In training before and after matches we would be split into teams for a game of football or touch rugby and in my age group it would be ‘us’ (the Asians) against the 'English' players with the coaches watching on. It was demoralising." "When I was 11, one coach openly stated in front of me and a couple of other British Asian players that that ‘we need to be careful at the club coz there’s too many p**** coming through’. One ex-academy player who did not want his name mentioned, told ITV News: "I was a captain of Yorkshire from under 11 until under 21’s, including two years on a scholarship with Yorkshire Academy from age 15 to 17, from early on it was clear there was a ‘Yorkshire way’ and culture which basically was intolerant of anything different in terms of race or religion."Īzeem Rafiq said he was driven to tears from racial abuse he suffered while playing at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. ITV News has spoken to locals involved with cricket, as well as ex-players who have previously played for Yorkshire CCC, and many have reacted with disgust at the way the issue has been managed.įor some, the allegations at the centre of the Rafiq case come as no surprise. Through its Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, the official charity and community arm of the club, YCCC aims to deliver community projects across the county that make "a lasting, positive impact on the lives of those living in Yorkshire".ĭespite those best intentions, the lasting impact from the handling of the Azeem Rafiq case among some members of the community couldn't be more damaging. However, for an organisation that prides itself on its history as well as its roots in the local community, the current scandal enveloping Yorkshire Cricket Club couldn't be more damaging. For any sporting institution, the financial impact of losing sponsors would be hard enough to bear.