Moeen Ali, England all-rounder, believes more stories are yet to emerge after the recent Yorkshire racism crisis plunged the cricketing system into disarray. Moeen Ali hailed domestic cricketer Azeem Rafiq for raising his voice against racial discrimination and feels a change is in order.
Azeem Rafiq, who accused the Yorkshire County Cricket Club of racism in September 2020, has taken down the association. The club’s failure to take proper action based on Yorkshire’s report into the allegations, specifically dismissing a racial slur as banter, has led to grave consequences.
Moeen Ali Isn’t Surprised To Hear Recent Racism Case
Meanwhile, Moeen Ali isn’t surprised to hear about the recent racism instance. However, Moeen Ali is glad it came out, sending a message to people to think twice before discriminating against anyone. Azeem Rafiq came out in September of 2020 with the allegation that he was ‘bullied’, ‘targeted’, and ‘ridiculed’ because of his ethnic background. He revealed that the players of Asian origin were often referred to as ‘Pakis’ or ‘elephant washers’.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised but there’s probably more stories out there that people haven’t heard of. I won’t be surprised if more do come out but I think the fact it’s come out, it’s great because going forward you can’t just come into the game or any sort of sport or walk of life, people have to think about what they can or can’t say in terms of discriminating against people and knowing what people feel and go through,” the 34-year old said.
Based on Azeem Rafiq’s claims, the likes of Gary Ballance and Michael Vaughan have landed in trouble. Additionally, the England Cricket Board (ECB) have suspended Yorkshire from hosting international games, while the club’s chairman Roger Hutton resigned.
Azeem Rafiq’s Yorkshire teammate Gary Ballance, who played 23 Tests for England so far, released a detailed statement, admitting his usage of some offensive and derogatory terms on the Pakistan origin cricketer when playing alongside him. Former Yorkshire and England captain Michael Vaughan has revealed that he was named in the YCCC report but “totally denies any allegation of racism”.
Moeen Ali: Azeem Rafiq Pushing For A Change And Isn’t Doing Anything For Any Personal Gain
Moeen Ali hailed Azeem Rafiq’s efforts to make his voice heard, setting an example and his desperation to affect change. Moeen Ali had decided to bid adieu to the longest format after playing 64 Tests.
The off-spinner added:“Azeem’s talked a lot about his mental health and I think that’s really, really important. I think the most important thing that people who do suffer with mental health are really being looked after in this situation. I think people that probably didn’t feel like they could speak previously, what Azeem has done he is not doing it for any personal gain, I think he wants change and that’s what he’s pushing for.”
New Yorkshire chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel publicly apologized to Azeem Rafiq, labelling him a whistleblower and empathizing with him. Lord Kamlesh Patel declared that racism of any form is not banter and encouraged the off-spinner to speak more about his experiences.
Zimbabwe-born Gary Ballance said he and Azeem Rafiq “remained closest friends throughout the time we exchanged these inappropriate comments” with his team-mate travelling to Zimbabwe to stay with Gary Ballance’s family. Gary Ballance said he was also invited to Azeem Rafiq’s wedding in Pakistan, which he could not attend.