If cricket really is trying to root out racism, it is failing

GEORGE DOBELL: This is what institutional racism looks like. It isn't people in white cloaks and hoods burning crosses, it's the institutions of power finding reasons not to investigate and punish those who have transgressed

It's not really surprising that whistleblowers are so reluctant to come forward in cricket, is it?

Five years after Azeem Rafiq first registered his concerns about racism at Yorkshire, he has accepted that, to protect his family from the relentless threats and abuse, it would be prudent to move abroad. A family that arrived in Britain as asylum seekers are now fleeing for their safety. Some days, it doesn't feel as if we're winning the battle against racism. 

It's worth thinking back to that first time Azeem reported his concerns just after the 2017 season. It took until August 2018 for Yorkshire to hold a meeting to discuss them. They subsequently decided not to investigate further to - and this bit is almost amusing - protect Azeem's mental health. 

When, eventually, they were forced (by media pressure) into action, they produced a perfunctory report that lacked much credibility. Some willing witnesses weren't interviewed and the use of racist language was dismissed, at times, as "banter''.

The report also features what was to become a recurring theme of this story: attempts to undermine and discredit Azeem. At one stage it is suggested his use of the word "Zimbo" is akin to use of the 'P' word and that he should have faced sanction for it. It's also suggested - though it never says who by - that he made jokes about land rights in Zimbabwe which upset Gary Ballance. Ballance, to his credit, has now made clear this never happened.

Anyway, despite complaints being upheld against several players and coaches for using racist language and against the management of Yorkshire for failing to follow their own procedures and being "dismissive" of the allegations, the club initially decided not to publish the conclusions or sanction anyone. Had there not been a series of leaks to the media, nothing would ever have changed. Every reporting mechanism within the game, to the club, the PCA and the ECB, failed. 

^{The outside of Headingley Stadium, the home of Yorkshire [Getty Images]}

And here we are, five years later. The club continues to host international matches and those accused of racism continue to await judgement. There's been some tinkering here and there at the ECB, but nothing much has changed. Not really. The ECB continue to decline to accept they need a new code of conduct, they continue to say they don't have jurisdiction over former administrators (or anything that happened when they were called the TCCB), they continue to find reasons not to act. 

The ECB make the point that some of these delays, while unfortunate, are inevitable. There are just too many complaints, they say, so resources are stretched. But the lack of resources is a reflection of their priorities. The events department contains nearly 100 people. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that they just aren't taking this stuff seriously enough.

Meanwhile, confidential information about Azeem that only a few people at the PCA could have known about was leaked. The new, Asian chair of Yorkshire is under almost constant attack. And sections of the media are more concerned about pointing out the flaws in Azeem's character than focusing on the endemic racism which is causing our game to be exclusive and divided. 

This is what institutional racism looks like. It isn't people in white cloaks and hoods burning crosses, it's the institutions of power - the media, the governing body, the union, the clubs - finding reasons not to investigate and punish those who have transgressed. The game has faced a huge test in recent months and it has failed to rise to it. 

"A generation earlier, Ismail Dawood trod the same path. He tried to shrug off the racist jokes; he tried to shrug off the lack of career advancement when he became an umpire. Eventually, like Azeem and Maurice, he decided he had more chance of fair opportunities abroad"

It is telling that, in the hours after it emerged that Azeem was going to live overseas, a new set of stories about his past emerged. He is, for sure, an imperfect hero (they all are, you know; perfection isn't a human quality). But even if the latest allegations are true - and we'll come back to this - the evidence of further racism in cricket would suggest the culture required even greater intervention. Just because he is flawed (again, we all are), doesn't justify the experiences he has suffered.

These stories have consequences, too. In the hours following them, Azeem tends to receive threats. His family or his business receive unwelcome visitors (we will, in the coming days, publish a series of CCTV videos of some of these attacks) and the abuse and intimidation on social media increases markedly. This is, remember, a man who was pushed to the brink of suicide by racist bullying. 

More than this, they serve the purpose - quite possibly consciously - of persuading others to keep quiet. So, the coach who reported racism and was made redundant keeps quiet. The player who was called a "smelly P***" and had beer thrown on him when he declined to drink keeps quiet. And the player who had bananas left in his space in the dressing room keeps quiet. It's not worth it, they conclude. It's not worth the abuse they'll suffer for the lack of progress they'll make.

^{A general view inside Headingley [Getty Images]}

And it's hard to disagree. Dozens, if not hundreds, of former players (and coaches, umpires, administrators and spectators) know this stuff goes on. But they can't risk their livelihoods, their sanity, their reputations or the safety of their loved ones in going public with it for so little hope of reward. One day, we may come to credit Azeem for the bravery and determination he deserves. He could have walked away with a six-figure settlement and non-disclosure agreement many months ago. He continues because he wants to see a better world for his children. 

As a coincidence, Maurice Chambers was in touch on Thursday night. Maurice, you may recall, revealed his experiences of racism in county cricket about a year ago. They included having bananas thrown at him, hearing the N word used and suffering racist jokes.  

One of the clubs he played for has launched an investigation. It's been delayed, unfortunately, but they have hired a highly respected barrister who has attempted to interview a wide range of people. A report is imminent and will make for uncomfortable reading. But it's an appropriate response to a difficult issue.

But at no stage, in the year since his story was reported, has another club connected to the allegations made contact with him. They say they tried. But he didn't answer the one WhatsApp message that was sent (almost certainly to a wrong number; Maurice, like Azeem, decided the UK was no place to build a future and moved abroad) and the club moved on. Meanwhile, he has had to watch one of the players who used the N word in front of him continuing his career. 

"It is almost unbelievable that some still doubt the extent of the problem at Yorkshire"

Does this sound like a concerted effort to support Maurice and investigate his complaints? Or does it sound like lip service to the problem? The club, like the game as a whole, are reluctant to peer too deeply into these matters for fear of what they'll find. It's a catastrophic failure of governance. 

The point is this: nothing that Azeem experienced in terms of racism was unusual in English cricket. The difference in his story is that he wouldn't be silenced by bullying or threats or financial inducements. Consider, for example, the fact that Adil Rashid complained on the same day as Azeem in 2017. He might not have gone public, but nor has he played a first-class game for the club since. 

A generation earlier, Ismail Dawood trod the same path. He tried to shrug off the racist jokes; he tried to shrug off the lack of career advancement when he became an umpire. Eventually, like Azeem and Maurice, he decided he had more chance of fair opportunities abroad. 

It is almost unbelievable that some still doubt the extent of the problem at Yorkshire. The current and past chair of the club have admitted it was "institutionally racist". A former captain, Gary Ballance, has admitted he racially abused Azeem. Three witnesses have gone on the record and say they heard a former England captain, Michael Vaughan, make concerning comments to a group of Asian players. Even the flawed Yorkshire report upheld such complaints. Now we know the club are to plead guilty to most of the charges laid by the ECB. Yet still some claim that Azeem is the problem. 

So, let's look at those stories published on Thursday night. A little while ago, Azeem received a message from a player involved in that game - a screenshot of which is published alongside this article - warning him that there was an attempt to tell such a story.

^{A message of support sent to Azeem Rafiq from an opponent who was involved in a match at the centre of allegations involving Azeem [supplied]}

They were involved in the passage of play at the time of the alleged incident and saw nothing untoward. It tells you much about the toxicity of the situation that we have had to conceal their identity to protect them from repercussions. 

"Someone just rang me regarding a game back in 2009 to claim you had said something to one of our players while I was [involved in the relevant passage of play]," they wrote. "I heard nothing and the player said nothing to me or the team after this. I have stated this. The attempts to deface yourself to protect others is disgraceful."

But Azeem has made some enemies: people who have been exposed by his whistleblowing; people who resent the changes his testimony will bring about; people who resent the change to their community. They are angry, they are organised and they appear to be focused on ruining Azeem's reputation.

And remember: Azeem has been embarrassed by his past previously. He immediately and wholeheartedly apologised for his antisemitic remarks and admitted his short-comings. There's none of that this time. He insists it is a lie.

So here we are. With a victim being blamed and other whistleblowers being silenced. This cannot be an acceptable solution. It is a sad and shameful day for cricket and Britain. We have to do better.

Related Topics

• Intimidation and abuse forces Azeem Rafiq and his family from their homes