A player pissed on my head: Another Asian origin player alleges racism at Yorkshire
As the Azeem Rafiq racism row picks up the pace with England and Wales Cricket Board cancelling all major games at Headingley, all major sponsors pulling out from their deals with the club and its president resigning, yet another blow has hit the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Another Asian origin former player has alleged racism at the north England club. He asked to remain anonymous as he does not want his family to know what he endured. Saying that the comments and acts of the white players at the club were ‘both blatant and sly’, during his time at the club in the early 2000s.
It was due to his treatment at the club that the player left it disillusioned after being unable to receive the same opportunities as white cricketers.
Revealing the treatments the player said, “I experienced racism from fellow players both direct and indirect. Believe it or not, I had a player p*** on my head from the hotel bedroom above, as I was on the phone leaning out of my room window.”
“Everyone in the Asian cricketing community has known Yorkshire County Cricket Club is racist, yet somehow they have been able to cunningly continue with their agenda,” he added giving an example of how the Yorkshire management still manages to get the nod of being the largest representer of Asian talent.
“I and others were used as a statistic. When people said Yorkshire were racist, their reply was, ‘How can we be — we have X amount of Asians on our books?” he said.
While racial slurs were still something that players found hard to deal with it, they were attacked on religious lines as well. Telling another story, the player said he overheard ‘senior players’ — both still involved at Yorkshire —talking about ‘how they “sh**ged a bird” in the hotel room who was on her period and made a mess, and all they could find is a Muslim player’s prayer mat to clean it up. Sick or what. These are supposed to be your teammates and people I looked up to.’
These allegations were made by the player through Sportsmail and when the paper asked Yorkshire to respond, a spokesman said, “This behaviour would be completely unacceptable to the club. It goes without saying we will investigate thoroughly.”
