Government figures step into Azeem Rafiq case, as Sajid Javid says "heads should roll" at Yorkshire

The ECB is currently reviewing the report into Rafiq’s allegations, having only been sent an unredacted copy in late October, but Javid also had a word of warning for the governing body as it deliberates action against the county

Senior government figures piled the pressure on Yorkshire over the treatment of Azeem Rafiq on Tuesday, with one high-ranking cabinet member saying "heads should roll".

Health Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted the message after ESPNcricinfo revealed Rafiq was regularly called 'Paki' during his time at the club, in one instance reducing him to tears, but the panel assessing his claims of racial discrimination deemed the comments were not was not enough to be considered offensive.

The ECB is currently reviewing the report into Rafiq’s allegations, having only been sent an unredacted copy in late October, but Javid also had a word of warning for the governing body as it deliberates action against the county.

Javid’s post on social media read: “‘Paki’ is not banter. Heads should roll at Yorkshire CCC.

“If [the ECB] doesn’t take action it’s not fit for purpose.”

An updated statement from the ECB explained: “Last week we received Yorkshire CCC’s report into the racism and bullying allegations Azeem Rafiq made against the club.

“We are conscious about the length of time that Azeem has waited for resolution and the toll that must be taking on his wellbeing and that of his family. We are sorry that, as a sport, this has not yet been resolved.

“We will conduct a full regulatory process that is fair to all parties, but also ensure this happens as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we have secured the services of a QC, along with other external investigatory support to upweight resource around our process. The ECB Board has also reaffirmed its commitment to further additional resource, should the investigation require it.

“We are aware that The Select Committee have called Yorkshire’s Chair, Roger Hutton to give evidence. In the meantime, we will press ahead with our investigation.”

As Yorkshire remained silent more than 24 hours after Cricinfo's report, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, Julian Knight MP, said the county's chairman Roger Hutton should be brought in front of his panel. 

^{Yorkshire are under pressure from senior MPs over the response to Azeem Rafiq's allegations}

Knight said in a statement to PA: “This is extremely concerning and it’s clear that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has questions to answer. We have monitored developments around the club’s handling of the serious allegations made by Azeem Rafiq

“We want to see much greater transparency from YCCC – it is time for them to answer their critics. We intend to call the chair of the club before the DCMS committee to give a much fuller explanation than we have had so far.”

Yorkshire have declined to publish the report in full, citing concerns over potential legal consequences. In September, the county released an overview of the case and admitted that Rafiq was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying” during his time on the playing staff at Headingley. 

Yorkshire have also issued an apology to Rafiq, but no current employees at the county are to be disciplined as a result of the report’s findings. 

Alex Sobel, the MP for Leeds North West - the constituency which includes Headingley, tweeted: “I am very concerned to read today’s report. It’s not acceptable for any organisation to say clearly racist language is just banter.”

Yorkshire could also experience commercial backlash over their approach to Rafiq’s testimony, with sponsors coming under increasing pressure to distance themselves from the county.

^{Yorkshire have apologised to Rafiq for his experiences at the club}

Anchor, the butter brand owned by Arla Foods, replied to a tweet from a member of the public questioning their association with the club by saying: “There is never a place or an excuse for racism. We have no further activity supporting YCCC.”

Anchor’s logo currently appears on the ‘sponsors and partners’ page of Yorkshire’s website, however when contacted by The Cricketer a spokesperson for the company said that their relationship was a short-term arrangement, "which had ended prior to the publication of the report" and that the branding was "due to be removed". 

Meanwhile, the publishing company Emerald, which has the stadium naming rights to Headingley, voiced its concern about the state of affairs at Yorkshire.

“We take all matters related to any form of racism or discriminatory behaviour seriously and expect all our partners to uphold our values,” the company’s statement to PA read.

“As sponsors of the Headingley stadium, we are dismayed by the conclusion of an independent panel that the former player, Azeem Rafiq, suffered racial harassment and bullying during his time at the club.

“Whilst the club has offered its unreserved apology for this, and has made a number of positive changes in the intervening years, there is clearly still a great deal more to do.

“We are pursuing the actions from the YCCC in response to their latest statement and will continue to review the findings from the tribunal and ECB investigation in due course.”

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