Azeem Rafiq insisted on Tuesday that former Sky Sports activities pundit David Lloyd mustn’t have been sacked for remarks he made about Asian gamers.
Rafiq, talking at a Division for Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport choose committee listening to, mentioned Lloyd had supplied him a full apology after non-public feedback have been made public final 12 months.
Sportsmail columnist Lloyd left Sky final 12 months having labored for the broadcaster for 22 years.
Pundit David Lloyd left Sky final 12 months having labored for the broadcaster for 22 years
Former Yorkshire all-rounder Rafiq mentioned that by eradicating Lloyd, Sky made ‘as unhealthy a call as anybody has via this final two years’.
He added: ‘What that created was a variety of his mates — influential folks on the prime of the cricket institution who’re former gamers — they assault me,’ Rafiq mentioned.
‘David actually needed to be a part of the answer. The one who apologised misplaced his job. That’s not going to encourage anybody else to return ahead and settle for they’ve acquired issues unsuitable. We’ve acquired to get this dialog to a spot the place we will take the worry out of those conversations.
‘I felt in the event that they’d caught with him, the dialog might have been a bit higher.’
Azeem Rafiq instructed the listening to he has ‘been pushed in a foreign country’ by ‘threats and abuse’
The listening to additionally took proof from former Essex participant Jahid Ahmed, who claims a ‘large fish’ within the Chelmsford dressing room — who remains to be taking part in county cricket — racially abused him.
Ahmed is one in all three former Essex gamers, together with Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif, who got here ahead to make allegations of racism in opposition to the membership final 12 months after Rafiq had blown the whistle on his therapy at Yorkshire.
And Ahmed on Tuesday took his claims a step additional when he gave proof.
‘There’s a present participant who abused me and used racial slurs to bully me all through my profession and remains to be going,’ mentioned Ahmed, who performed seven first-class matches for Essex between 2005 and 2009. ‘I don’t know what motion might be taken in opposition to him however he’s not only a small individual, he’s a giant fish.’
Jahid Ahmed (above) is one in all three former Essex gamers to make allegations of racism
Essex commissioned an unbiased report into the allegations led by Katharine Newton QC, however greater than a 12 months on the findings have nonetheless not been made public.
Ahmed, the primary British Bangladeshi to play county cricket, mentioned: ‘It has taken longer than promised. I used to be instructed it will be launched in September after which it stored being pushed again. Now I’m instructed it is going to be completed by the top of December or within the new 12 months. So it retains dragging on and I don’t know why it’s taking so lengthy to get the report out.
‘I don’t assume a lot has modified. It’s been greater than a 12 months since I spoke out and I’ve had no assist from anybody. I’m a sufferer and I don’t assume I’m getting assist from the ECB, PCA or Essex.’
A supply at Essex instructed Sportsmail the publication of the Newton Report had been delayed so lengthy as a result of it’s a thorough investigation and that ‘no stone is left unturned’. They added that they’ve stayed in contact with Ahmed.
