Azeem to Tribunal: Hoggard calls us Rafa the infidel, elephant washer, p***

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On Tuesday, former Yorkshire participant Azim Rafique, on the middle of English cricket’s racism scandal, gave disturbing particulars from his enjoying days to the Leeds Employment Tribunal. The 30-year-old spinner had filed a case towards Yorkshire Cricket Club alleging abuse and prejudice due to his roots. His emotional outburst is a part of a doc printed for public document on the UK Parliamentary Committees web site.

Here are excerpts from Rafiq’s assertion.

“Rafa the Infidel, the Elephant Washer and the Pig”

About Matthew Hoggard, former England bowler:

it was hoggie [Matthew Hoggard] Who began calling me “Rafa the Kafir”. At the time, I actually did not perceive that this was a racist slur. My nickname within the membership was “Rafa”, which was a shortening of my surname Rafiq, so once they began calling me “Rafa the infidel” – I assumed they stated it as a result of it rhymes. Later I noticed what “infidel” meant, the way it was used, and that it was a racist phrase.

There had been fixed feedback from Hoggy in the direction of me and the opposite Asian gamers – Adil, Ajmal and Rana, every day, and all through the day, each day. I feel he may need thought it was only a dressing room joke, however we might come within the morning and he’d say “you sit there” and sit us all collectively. He additionally used to name us issues like “hand washers” and “p***”.

When I disclosed myself to the media (with out naming any names and solely mentioning the phrases used), Hoggie referred to as me to apologize for what I had stated. I thanked him and I respect him for that.

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‘There are too lots of you’

About former England captain Michael Vaughan:

Michael Vaughan was considered one of my cricketing heroes. I keep in mind seeing him captain England within the prestigious Ashes collection in 2005 – once I was beneath 15 and enjoying for Yorkshire like him – and I actually appeared as much as him and Praised him and expressed his need to observe in his footsteps. In 2009, once I was 18, I keep in mind being very excited to lastly be in the identical dressing room (Nottingham v Yorkshire, 22 June 2009). But because the Asian gamers within the staff (Khimself, Adil, Ajmal and Rana) he stated the very very first thing to us and once we had been strolling on the sector, “There are too lots of you. We must have a phrase about it.” The 4 of us by no means performed collectively once more after that.

At the time, I keep in mind being shocked and questioning, “Did he really say that?”. I used to be so upset that I began feeling sick. And then I obtained offended. But I used to be so decided to play for England that I attempted to let it go. But I by no means forgot it. A number of issues stated at YCCC harm me, however listening to this from considered one of my cricket heroes, it actually caught with me.

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“Why are you talking to him, he is Pak”

On former Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance:

Gary Ballance is a Zimbabwean cricketer who joined the YCCC in 2008. While Hoggie launched “Rafa the Infidel”, it was Gary who actually picked it up and actually ran with it. Gary was additionally identified to name an individual of any shade “Kevin”.

Before Gary got here I performed on the primary staff and was out and in of the primary staff between 2009 and 2011. It was 2012, once I had my breakthrough (which was across the time I began socializing extra with the staff, together with consuming. Try to slot in), so I went out with Gary and Joe Root. began going, and at the moment I thought-about the 2 of them as pals (I nonetheless think about Joe a pal). But over time, the fixed racist jokes on Gary’s half turned an excessive amount of. He would discuss to me always and make racist jokes designed to undermine me and make me really feel small, like arising

During a 2009 Abu Dhabi pre-season tour, Gary ridiculed me for not partaking within the tradition of consuming. On the final night of the journey, everybody needed to carry out a present. Gary’s present, as all the time, was about him consuming sambuca and he was beloved for his present. My present was non-alcoholic and Gary humiliated me in entrance of everybody for my lack of leisure in comparison with himself. Over time and after many such feedback, I felt pressured to take part within the tradition of consuming.

Gary usually made derogatory or derogatory remarks about my Pakistani heritage to others in entrance of me in varied settings (“Don’t talk to him, he’s a Paki” or “Why are you talking to him he’s a Paki” ), together with cricket journeys and festivals. This occurred in entrance of many individuals together with James Weinman, Joe Root, James Lee, Carl Carver, My Agent Will Quinn, and Brian Taylor. The discuss obtained a lot that he stated it so many occasions, it turned insufferable. I used to be utterly uninterested in it and needed to complain to my agent Will Quinn on a number of events. At the 2014 PCA Awards occasion, Gary made one other racist, derogatory, racist comment a couple of lady in entrance of me, about me being Pakistani. I used to be so fed up that I needed to kill him and we needed to half methods with our agent, Will Quinn.

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“Martin’s behavior confirmed to me that I was never going to get any support from the club”

On Martin Moxon, head coach and later, director of cricket.

In 2014, I used to be launched from the membership by Martin Moxon over a telephone name. He indicated to me that it was the results of my efficiency. Although I used to be affected by YIPS in 2013 (PHB218), it was not a recurring downside and Martin himself confirmed on 24 April 2014 that “I had overcome the YIPS problem” (PHB221). Meanwhile, in 2012, I used to be consuming with Adil Rashid to strive to slot in with the membership tradition. Looking again, the fixed racist feedback and “jokes” had been affecting my psychological state and my efficiency, however I used to be by no means supplied help from the membership, though folks knew I used to be struggling. It was throughout this era that I had suicidal ideas for the primary time – and one night time I used to be on the verge of suicide. Although I had overcome the YIPS downside, I used to be launched from the membership. I left the membership upset in 2014.

Throughout 2017 and 2018, I struggled because of the bullying, concentrating on, and racism I confronted—to the purpose that, once more, I had suicidal ideas. Martin did nothing regardless of my revelations about it in August 2017. Shortly thereafter, I used to be confronted with allegations of “fake injury” and “exclusion myself” from choice by teammates, implying that senior administration (ie Martin and others) had been overtly referring to my confidential medical data and their Discussing the evaluation. I used to be being stored out of coaching and sports activities.

When I returned to the membership after a interval of mourning in or round June 2018, on the primary day, Martin Moxon pulled me right into a room and commenced to spotlight the issues I had prompted me to not converse to the coach Thi (Andrew Gayle) and captain (Steve Patterson). I actually thought he was asking me to speak alone about how I used to be and the way the household was after that trauma, however his solely concern was that the coach and captain complained about me. I attempted to clarify the state of affairs and the way I used to be assured that I’d play, which is why I agreed to go to an essential medical appointment with my spouse (which was crucial of her being pregnant issues) however Instead the twelfth ended with male duties. I reiterated that if he hadn’t executed this and had identified I wasn’t enjoying, I’d have been on an essential medical appointment with my spouse. But Martin confirmed me no sympathy and clearly said that I used to be an issue (see additional under). Martin’s habits confirmed to me that I used to be by no means going to get any help from the membership, it doesn’t matter what I did.

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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS

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