England cricketer Azeem Rafiq criticises expected return of Greaves as Yorkshire chairman

England cricketer Azeem Rafiq criticised the expected return of Colin Graves as Yorkshire chair and also urged the sponsors to walk out of the club if he gets reappointed. Rafiq spoke against the racism that he faced during his time with Yorkshire, which led to the club being fined Pound 400,000 and a 48-point deduction in last year’s County Championship. Along with this, six individuals were sanctioned as well.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Graves has reportedly been in talks with Yorkshire about a return. He previously chaired Yorkshire between 2012 and 2015. He was in authority for a part for which the club admitted to an ECB charge of failing to address the systemic use of racist or discriminatory language.

“Maybe there is still time to act, still time to show some backbone, but it’s running out fast. I cast my mind back to November 2021, when under intense political pressure the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended Yorkshire from hosting international cricket because of its slow and substandard response to my testimony. In the hours that followed dozens of companies ended their associations with the club,” Rafiq wrote in the Observer as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“My question now is for Yorkshire’s current sponsors… Does Colin Graves reflect your values? Is it acceptable to describe racism as banter? Sponsors found their moral compass before, and they need to find it again, because any organisation supporting this is complicit in it. There is still time for them to act, to leave now and stop Yorkshire stepping back in time and undoing what progress they have made in the past three years,” Rafiq added.

Back in 2002, Greaves helped out Yorkshire with a multimillion-pound loan, and according to ESPNcricinfo, some of it is still owed to the Graves Family Trust. Greaves could make a return as a new ownership offer had been accepted.

“I still believe that everyone deserves a second chance. If Graves wants to lead the club and the game in a positive direction he can’t just say the right things, he needs to do the right things – not just words, but action,” Rafiq said.

“He has to show he has accepted what has happened in the past, and is ready to take substantial action and offer clear direction now and when difficult decisions are necessary in the future. It is fair to say there has been no sign of any of this yet,” Rafiq added.