Former England cricketer Gary Ballance has admitted using a racial slur towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq. Ballance, who played 23 Tests and 16 one-day internationals between 2013-2017, released a statement on Wednesday in which he accepted he was responsible for some of the offensive and derogatory terms that Rafiq revealed he was subjected to during his time at Headingley. The 31-year-old referenced his "incredibly close relationship" with Rafiq during their time together at the club, saying both men "said things privately to each other which were not acceptable" but made it clear he had remorse for his part of those exchanges.
It has been reported that I used a racial slur and, as I told the independent enquiry, I accept that I did so and I regret doing so," Ballance wrote. "I do not wish to discredit Rafa by repeating the words and statements that he made about me and others but I have to be clear that this was a situation where best friends said offensive things to each other which, outside of that context, would be considered wholly inappropriate. "I regret that these exchanges took place but at no time did I believe or understand that it had caused Rafa distress. "If I had believed that then I would have stopped immediately. He was my best mate in cricket and I cared deeply for him. To my knowledge, it has never been alleged that I reduced Rafa to tears. "That does not mean that what passed between us was right or appropriate. It was not. Rafa said things to me that were not acceptable and I did the same with Rafa. I never said anything with any intended malice or to upset Rafa."Rafiq initially made allegations of racism against Yorkshire in August last year and an independent report commissioned by the club observed that he had suffered "racial harassment and bullying".
However, Yorkshire said that their own internal investigation had "come to the conclusion that there is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrants disciplinary action. "Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has said that the P-word "is not banter" and "heads should roll" at Yorkshire. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the incident involving Rafiq and asked the England and Wales Cricket Board to look into the matter.Meanwhile, Rafiq has been called up to provide evidence to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee, which is set to bring to light the complete details of his allegations of racism. Club chairman Roger Hutton, and two senior executives Mark Arthur and Martyn Moxon, are also set to provide evidence.
In a further setback for Yorkshire, major sponsors like Emerald Group (title sponsor for Headingley stadium) and Yorkshire Tea have snapped ties with the club. Anchor Butter, the shirt sponsors, also announced their decision to abandon the Yorkshire club. "We have today taken the decision to remove our brand association with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Headingley Stadium," the Emerald Group said in a press release. "We do not tolerate any form of racism or discriminatory behaviour and the damaging effects this has.
Yorkshire Tea also said in a statement that it is ending its association with the club with immediate effect. "We were upset to read about the experiences of Azeem Rafiq during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We wholeheartedly believe that cricket should be a sport for everyone, but his experiences and the way the panel report has been handled don't reflect that. Our current partnership with YCCC was naturally coming to an end but we have taken the decision to end it with immediate effect."
