Azeem Rafiq responds to report after cricket branded elitist, racist and sexist
It is almost three years since Azeem Rafiq first spoke publicly about his experiences of suffering racist abuse at Yorkshire.
It has been a long and difficult journey since then but, following the publication of a 317-page report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) that branded cricket elitist, racist and sexist, Rafiq is determined to "do whatever I can to make sure we're not going to keep having these conversations".
The ICEC report was a damning indictment of the state of English cricket, with evidence from more than 4,000 respondents leading the commission to conclude that "elitism alongside deeply rooted and widespread forms of structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination continue to exist across the game".
Following the report's publication, ECB chief executive Richard Gould issued an apology for the governing body's failings to address these issues and insisted they are "determined to make cricket the most inclusive and welcoming sport in the country". ECB chair Richard Thompson, however, said it would take significant "time and investment over the coming months and years" to implement some of the report's 44 recommendations.
And Rafiq, who says he does have "some hope" that "potentially things are going to get better" after speaking with both Gould and Thompson, wants to see real action given the ICEC report comes 19 years on from the 'Clean Bowl Racism' report which the ECB have acknowledged was "not acted on in a sufficient manner" at the time. "It's a time for cricket to really grasp where it's been going wrong, understand it properly and then put things in place that are going to make a difference," Rafiq tells Mirror Sport.
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"I think we're a long way from that. We know the problem. We need to understand the problem and then work out the solutions. It's upsetting and quite sad that even now there are large portions of cricket that just do not want to accept this as a problem so that's a worry. I'd encourage people to put their personal things to one side and start listening for the sake of the game, come together and play their part in making cricket a game for everyone.
"I have some hope. I've had some communication with Richard Gould and Richard Thompson and I feel like potentially things are going to get better, but because this is an institutional problem changing a couple of individuals doesn't just fix it. I want to see action. I've been aware of that report [Clean Bowl Racism] and have talked about the fact that we've seen all of these window dressing solutions before.
"I look back at that and think 'If that had been done properly, maybe I wouldn't have suffered what I did'. Still large parts of cricket just do not and will not accept this. We're getting to a point where the game needs to decide, quite frankly, that it shouldn't matter how many Tests you played or how many years you've played county cricket… the game of cricket is bigger than everyone.
Rafiq was the victim of racist abuse during his time at Yorkshire (Popperfoto via Getty Images)"What it feels like right now is that a few high-profile people with pedigrees are just not prepared to accept it and if they don't, that allows a large part of our society to go, 'Well if he thinks it's not happened we can stick with that'." Rafiq also revealed he knows of a current county cricketer who, on the day the ICEC report was published, had "all his team-mates undermining the report in front of him".
"I live and breathe this," he added. "I just feel like we are fighting this continual battle of trying to get people to actually see what it's like to live in our shoes. It's frustrating, it's draining and it's incredibly sad. What's happened with a lot of these situations is it's hit rock bottom and then the PR around it starts to overshadow the reality.
"I see my role as making sure the ground reality is always heard. It's uncomfortable for a lot of people to talk about ground reality because it starts to affect your own mental health, your own family, your professional and personal relationships. I know that's uncomfortable for a lot of people but I'm very determined to make sure I do that."
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket found the sport to be elitist, racist and sexistRafiq highlights the ICEC report's recommendation that the ECB institute equal pay for the England men's and women's teams by 2030 as one of the key changes they need to make. "Role models are very important for kids. You can't be what you can't see, but they're not the only solve," he explained.
"Far too often the solution is, 'Let's bring a brown person in, let's bring a black person in, let's bring a woman in'. That is important, but that's not the only solve. It has to be a bit more than that and I want to see action, I want to see equal pay. The equal pay recommendation will show how much has been heard.
"We've heard about the men's players getting multi-year contracts, but I don't think that should be a priority. For me, the priority should be that the women get equal pay. I would rather those resources get put into making women's cricket equal, but it's all about priorities with these things."
Rafiq spoke to Mirror Sport on behalf of Sporting Equals, an independent body that champions race equity across sport, after it was announced that their Sporting Equals Awards will return this year for the first time since 2020. Nominations are now open for the event, which takes place on October 21, and Rafiq is also keen to highlight the crucial work being done by organisations like Sporting Equals up and down the country.
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"There are some very, very positive things happening, like the Sporting Equals Awards," he said. "There are some very good people who are trying their hardest and I think it's important that, with everything that's happened, we have a balance of challenge and support. I've been involved in this space for the last two or three years and it's incredibly draining and incredibly challenging.
"Sporting Equals spend 364 days a year dealing with some pretty tough stuff, so that one day where they're going to get together and recognise all the other people that are doing the same things can only be a positive. It's important to empower them, celebrate them for a day and then give them the support to keep going because without the people we're not going to move the dial. They're back for the first time after a few years, so I encourage people up and down the country to nominate people that have made a difference in the space to people's lives.
"I'm not saying these awards are going to change the world or anything, but it's lots of little things [we need] and that's why I put my day and night into this because you have an opportunity to make the biggest impact possible on other people's lives. In our society, I think sport can drive [change] in such a manner that nothing else can and I think it's important that we start having proper conversations around this.
"It's important that we take the fear out of these conversations and really come together. I don't want to be sitting here calling people out." Rafiq then explained how there was a huge lack of diverse representatives in key decision-making positions, something he feels needs to be addressed.
Rafiq played for Yorkshire between 2008 and 2014 and again between 2016 and 2018 (Getty Images)"Today it's the right thing to do from a moral point of view, but down the line it's going to be very much the only thing to do from a business point of view. My message to organisations, brands and governing bodies is 'Let's come together and play our part to get racism, sexism and class based discrimination out of our sport and out of our society'.
"Unfortunately, I've lived this, but I can cut through the crap and I think it's important that I do whatever I can to make sure that we're not going to keep having these conversations five years down the line. Sporting Equals, along with a lot of other organisations, are doing some amazing work to try and make sport and physical activity accessible to everyone and these awards are a celebration for the people and organisations who have done this well.
"One thing I want to get across is that it's open to everyone and I would love to see people from grassroots and community projects right up to professional sport there. Hopefully everyone can have a great night."
The Sporting Equals Awards are back for the first time since 2020 for their seventh edition. They will take place on the 21st of October, and nominations can be made on the Sporting Equals site at www.sportingequalsawards.org.uk.
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