ECB

[Admin]

New chairman Ian Watmore already leaving

[chris]

Stronly worded statement today:

www.ecb.co.uk/news/2337251

Begs the question, given that YCCC probably already had nicely written polices and procedures, otherwise sponsors etc. would not touch them, how do they proove to the ECB that they will actually follow their own procedures in the future? Will it be easy or will the ECB make it difficult to have the suspension lifted?

[lancsdes]

Surprised no more debate on here about Yorkshire et cetera. Maybe, my good friend our admin, has banned it! Could be worse, you could be the moderator on Yorkshire’s forum where he’s had to ban loads of people today!

Bungle appears to be finished; never had much time for him anyway. As unfunny as Bonking Boris.

www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12470146/david-lloyd-apologises-to-azeem-rafiq-after-being-accused-of-alleged-racist-remarks

I have heard it said that cricket is a game played by nice people, and I know one of my heroes John Arlott thought that, despite his being years ahead of his time in his stand against racism. I would love to think it too as I love the game far above any other sport Unfortunately it is far too much establishment . Remember keep politics out of cricket and sport? That meant keep sport right wing.

Surely Harrison has to go? The archetypal modern day manager with nothing to offer other than corporate bullshit. ECB is a microcosm of the cabinet

[chris]

Nov 17, 2021 1:13:20 GMT lancsdes said:

Surprised no more debate on here about Yorkshire et cetera. Maybe, my good friend our admin, has banned it! Could be worse, you could be the moderator on Yorkshire’s forum where he’s had to ban loads of people today!

Bungle appears to be finished; never had much time for him anyway. As unfunny as Bonking Boris.

www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12470146/david-lloyd-apologises-to-azeem-rafiq-after-being-accused-of-alleged-racist-remarks

I have heard it said that cricket is a game played by nice people, and I know one of my heroes John Arlott thought that, despite his being years ahead of his time in his stand against racism. I would love to think it too as I love the game far above any other sport Unfortunately it is far too much establishment . Remember keep politics out of cricket and sport? That meant keep sport right wing.

Surely Harrison has to go? The archetypal modern day manager with nothing to offer other than corporate bullshit. ECB is a microcosm of the cabinet

Am surprised as well.  But there are plenty of other places where the matter is being discussed, and as you suggest they demonstrate a wide range of "opinion ".

I watched the DCMS committee yesterday.  Harrison was not very impressive,  imo.  It was only when the ECB rocked up in force, that questions were avoided and answered with a politicians' ease of speaking all the way round the subject, even Hutton eventually answered the institutional racism question. 

Not sure if LCCC's history of bringing through to the first team their age group Asian players is any better than at Yorkshire.

[Admin]

No Des not banned it, Harrison gets slated in today's Telegraph, Bumble long ago stopped being interesting, as with everything two sides to every story Rafiq not exactly clean as driven snow, fined for giving na abusive tirade against John Abrahams when Abrahams coach of England youngsters
Root gets dragged in a being a room mate of Ballance and Alex Hales cops some flack for calling his dog Kevin
It's a mess

[Admin]

[oldhamexile]

Gary Ballance systematically calls every person of colour he comes across in cricket as Kevin. Every man jack of them. He dehumanises them, it is not worth remembering their given name. This is as bad in its way as the disgusting racist epithets which Rafiq had to deal with in the course of his employment. And knowing this Alex Hales calls his black dog Kevin.

Jason Holder - Kevin
Usman Khawaja - Kevin
Virat Kohli - Kevin
Baba Azam - Kevin

Wow. Do you think that's acceptable Admin? I think it's disgusting. I try not to do high dudgeon on the internet but the behaviour of Ballance and Alex Hales is despicable. I was always a bit surprised Hales didn't get an England recall, now I get it. I hope Ballance never plays cricket in England again.

Is a foul mouthed tirade as a 19yo really equivalent to systematic racial abuse?

Joe Root failed to intervene while a team mate was being called a ****, doesn't make him a racist. He shared a house with a man who racially abused a team mate on a pretty systematic basis, doesn't make Root a racist. He made a statement last week where he said he couldn't recall witnessing any racism. That does make him a coward and a hypocrite and he is not fit to captain England. It breaks my heart because I love watching him bat but I will struggle to take much pleasure from his future innings.

Tom Harrison is absolutely part of the problem. He turned a blind eye, and like many others, hoped this would go away. And then yesterday he used his awful teflon coating to deflect the questions of the committee. Mark my words, if he isn't removed he will use this to redouble his attacks on the counties, part of the problem, in favour of the unblemished franchises.

A dark day for cricket but better it is now out in the open. Yorkshire should now improve once they clean out the rubbish, including Ballance and Gale. I wonder if has been alluded whether Lancashire have their house in order?

[Admin]

Don't condone it OE but does see strange that the abuse started in his firs spell yet he goes back to play for them in a second period, think more to come from this

[Admin]

The full article is in the Guardian in 2010 he launched an abusive tweet soon after which he then deleted, yes he has been abused but as I said he still went back to Yorkshire when the vast majority of those who were accused were still playing for the county
Just seems odds to me
The Abrahams comment was also on Twitter

[oldhamexile]

Rafiq answered the specific question about why he went back in his evidence yesterday. From memory: because he needed to work, because he hadn't fully recognised that he was treated differently because of racism and becuase he could work for Gillespie and Lees.

I really don't think a kid calling someone a w**ker is of similar magnitude to the abuse experienced by Rafiq.

Ballance and Hales and their "Kevin" nonsense is truly despicable. I'd be surprised if we've head the last of that if it was used in the England dressing room.

It's interesting that on the Yorkshire Forum that their members seem to have largely accepted that the club have got this terribly wrong and they need to rebuild and move on now.

[chris]

Nov 17, 2021 14:18:59 GMT oldhamexile said:

Rafiq answered the specific question about why he went back in his evidence yesterday. From memory: because he needed to work, because he hadn't fully recognised that he was treated differently because of racism and becuase he could work for Gillespie and Lees.

I really don't think a kid calling someone a w**ker is of similar magnitude to the abuse experienced by Rafiq.

Ballance and Hales and their "Kevin" nonsense is truly despicable. I'd be surprised if we've head the last of that if it was used in the England dressing room.

It's interesting that on the Yorkshire Forum that their members seem to have largely accepted that the club have got this terribly wrong and they need to rebuild and move on now.

I agree.  Azeem Rafiq addressed that point and gave understandable reasons.  He left them in 2014 (contract not renewed) and tried to work on himself, his game and mental health.   In first spell was in denial as to what was going on.  All he wanted to do was play cricket. Make a living.  When he first returned it was under Gillespie and Lees (coach and captain) and it felt things had changed, felt good.  Things changed in 2017 Coach: Gale, Captain: Ballance, v-c: Bresnan (Gale's Brother-in-Law).

Even if he is a thoroughly unpleasant person - and I’m not saying he is - that is no excuse for racism and institutional racism that was present at Yorkshire (and elsewhere).  I’ve only briefly spoke to him across the boundary rope and he was open and interested in chatting (like most but not all cricketers)

Yorkshire have got this wrong.  As I suspect the ECB have, but YCCC are no doubt less politically adept at rescuing a tricky situation.

www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/17263424-93b9-4f72-ae8d-b585d1e32400

[Admin]

One interesting point Lloyd apparently made his comment last year when Sky presumably were offering zero tolerance, which makes you wonder why it was OK last year to being career ending this year

[Skimmer]

oldhamexile- "Joe Root failed to intervene while a team mate was being called a ****, doesn't make him a racist. He shared a house with a man who racially abused a team mate on a pretty systematic basis, doesn't make Root a racist. He made a statement last week where he said he couldn't recall witnessing any racism. That does make him a coward and a hypocrite and he is not fit to captain England. It breaks my heart because I love watching him bat but I will struggle to take much pleasure from his future innings."
Yep. Great cricketer though I always thought he's a poor captain. Seems like he is also weak when it comes to standing up to people and matters when needed too. Time for a new England captain.
As for Yorkshire C.C., IMHO, it is a product of a self styled county that is egotistical enough to declare itself 'God's own country' and hold an annual 'Yorkshire' Day' in order to glory in it's self adulation. Without doubt self centred and self obsessed.
This has now been played out in the exposure of Y.C.C's dire culture.
Unfortunately, county cricket is now being dragged through the mud. There must be many clubs and officials despairing, fearing years of efforts to integrate and encourage minorities now in danger of being lost.
As for the E.C.B., any organisation that sells it's and cricket's soul to Allen Stanford's 'fools gold' is not worthy of being trusted with upholding cricket's widely admired and long held values. That's before you get to that awful Hundred competition, and now the current fiasco. If the E.C.B. wanted to self destruct cricket these are the buttons to be pressed.

[Admin]

And today Rafiq has apologised for anti semite comments in a conversation on line with a Leicester player

[chris]

Nov 18, 2021 17:02:04 GMT Admin said:

And today Rafiq has apologised for anti semite comments in a conversation on line with a Leicester player

From thecricketer.com website


In the grand scheme of things, however, it [Azeem Rafiq's anti-semitic tweets] might serve to underline how deep the issue of racism extends into cricket and convince the sport’s authorities to redouble their efforts to improve matters.

It is understood further damaging revelations are imminent.

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “Azeem Rafiq has suffered terribly at the hands of racists in cricket so he will well understand the hurt this exchange will cause to Jews who have supported him. His apology certainly seems heartfelt and we have no reason to believe he is not completely sincere.”