I've contributed to the thread in the Kippax section, but as discussed, it's only there because of the association to Gary Ballance. And as has been mentioned, the issue is much wider than that. I couldn't find it anywhere else. So I thought maybe a new thread here was a better place.
I'm very disheartened that this is occurring in the game I love, and to people in this country. From the very start when Azeem Rafiq was first subjected to inappropriate and unfair behaviour right up to the current point that Yorkshire CCC have been dragged to by Azeem, his advisors, the public, the media, sponsors and MPs. Rather than Yorkshire CCC seizing the initiative.
I'm 50 years old, and grew up in the New Forest. Not a multicultural area in the 70s or 80s. But I specifically remember a situation at school where I knew enough when I was around 13/14 (so, 1984/5) that "p***" was first and foremost an offensive term, and that I couldn't think of a situation where it would be ok to use.
So it's been painful to read that at least one player has used this term at least 20 years later. Even if Gary Ballance felt it was banter, and felt it was reciprocated by Azeem as part of a friendship, I just don't think it's a term that can be used. I can understand how in a sports team it could arise. There is a lot of negative banter in sports teams and there are known reasons why that occurs. But there is a line, over which things said can be regarded reasonably as intimidation, bullying, racism, sexism and alike.
GB has apologised publicly (and maybe privately too, I don't know, but I would hope so) and he has provided a context in which he feels his behaviour was rational at the time. This has taken some balls considering a likely backlash. I've not seen any response from Azeem on how he views GB's apology. Michael Vaughan has also issued a statement refuting a claim about some specific wording that it is alleged he used. We are starting to see greater transparency and I hope we view this information as it comes out as part of the necessary progress towards a resolution, and not individual events to "pile on", overreact and make a situation even worse.
Should GB be punished? I think yes. But it should be proportionate. Maybe there are mitigating factors. However, for Yorkshire CCC to decide to take no action? That's deeply disturbing. There are plenty of options that that they could have chosen. A verbal warning, a written warning, enrolment on an awareness course, a final warning, a fine, dismissal are examples. Combinations of these could be used. They decided that no punishment was appropriate.
As was mentioned on the Kippax thread, there are many other allegations that Azeem has made that cannot be determined because individuals have refused to co-operate with the internal investigation. It doesn't mean these people are guilty. Doesn't mean they are innocent either. Maybe they are worried that, with hindsight, they did cross the line and are frightened of the repercussions now.
However, I think YCCC look far more culpable than any of the individuals that have been and will be implicated. As a club they have a responsibility to try to prevent bullying and racism, amongst other things, from happening, to monitor and see if it is happening, and to take appropriate action if it does. They don't seem to have achieved any of these things in this instance. And further, seem to be wilfully obstructing the course of events. It still greatly bothers me that YCCC released the news of the report findings on the morning of the cancelled Eng v Ind test match. I believe they did this cynically. They have, like a dog with all four legs outstretched, been pulled to this point by external forces. They should have be leading it.
So should YCCC be punished? Absolutely. It wouldn't do the wider cricket loving community in Yorkshire any good for the club to be disbanded. In fact, much better for the club to be asked by the ECB to be a leading proponent of the statements on the England player's t-shirts "Cricket is a game for everyone". To set the standard for the other counties to achieve. I think that will require changes in personnel at the top and maybe elsewhere, improved or introduced processes and procedures and strong consistent messaging of the objective and the progress. And time.
Just my thoughts.
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Topic: Azeem Rafiq and Yorkshire CCC (Read 26855 times)