LONDON: English cricket was forced to confront its racist culture on Tuesday when former player Azeem Rafiq testified through tears at a parliamentary hearing but with a determination to expose the Islamophobia and bullying he suffered for more than a decade.
“Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes, I do,” said Rafiq, who played for Yorkshire — England’s most successful cricket club.
“I hope in five years’ time we are going to see a big change, that I did something far bigger than any runs or any wickets I got.”
Racism complaints that led to Yorkshire launching an investigation in September 2020 reached the British Parliament after the report that dismissed some abuse as “friendly banter” led to no immediate departures from the club’s hierarchy and was not publicly released.
Rafiq told legislators that Yorkshire teammates used an offensive term referencing his Pakistani heritage and that the leadership at the 33-time winners of the English county championship failed to act on the racism.
“Pretty early on, (for) me and other people from an Asian background,” Rafiq told a House of Commons select committee overseeing sport, “there were comments such as, ‘You lot sit there near the toilets,’ ‘Elephant washers.’ The word P(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) was used constantly. And there just seemed to be an acceptance in the institution from the leaders and no one stamped it out.”
Asked if he thought cricket was institutionally racist in the country, Rafiq responded: “Yes, I do.”
Two former players at Essex have recently also said they were racially abused at that club, whose chairman resigned las week over the use of racist language at a board meeting four years ago.
Rafiq, a former England Under-19 captain, said he felt “isolated, humiliated at times” by his treatment at Yorkshire during two spells playing for the club from 2008 to 2018.
During testimony, Rafiq also made fresh claims of racial discrimination against former England internationals Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Alex Hales and Gary Ballance who are accused of using the offensive abbreviation of Pakistani toward him.
“For any part I played in contributing to Azeem Rafiq’s experience of feeling bullied at Yorkshire, I apologize unreservedly,” Bresnan said.
Rafiq said Ballance’s use of “Kevin” as a blanket derogatory term for all people of color was “an open secret in the England dressing room” and Hales called his dog Kevin because it was black.
“It’s disgusting how much of a joke it was,” Rafiq said.
As a graduate of the Yorkshire academy, Rafiq recalled Hoggard told Asian players “you lot sit over there” and referred to them as “elephant washers.”
Rafiq has also said former England captain Michael Vaughan said “there’s too many of you lot” at a 2009 game for Yorkshire. Vaughan denies saying it.
Yorkshire said last month that it would not take any disciplinary action against any of its employees, players or executives despite a report upholding seven of the 43 allegations that Rafiq was the victim of racial harassment and bullying. Only recently have the chairman and chief executive resigned.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has suspended Yorkshire from hosting international matches over its “wholly unacceptable” response to the racism faced by Rafiq, while sponsors are ending deals, including kit supplier Nike.
“I agree that the handling of the report indicates issues around institutional racism,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison told legislators.
Rafiq said he was being talked about as a captain of Yorkshire before reporting his concerns in 2017. Then Rafiq said board minutes said he was “a problem, a troublemaker and an issue that needs to be resolved.”
That followed a 2017 preseason tour when Rafiq said he suffered abuse from a teammate in front of others.
“Gary Ballance walks over and goes, ‘Why are you talking to him? You know he’s a P(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk).’ Or, ‘He’s not a sheikh, he’s got no oil,’” Rafiq testified.
Two weeks ago, Ballance, a former England cricketer, admitted to using a racial slur against Rafiq when they were teammates at Yorkshire, but said that was in the context of friends saying offensive things to each other.
In a written submission to the hearing, Rafiq claimed that Yorkshire “protected” Ballance by allowing him to miss drug hair sample tests to avoid sanctions.
“When he failed a recreational drug test and was forced to miss some games,” Rafiq said, “the club informed the public he was missing games because he was struggling with anxiety and mental health issues.”
At one point the committee had to break for several minutes after Rafiq grappled with the emotions of recounting painful experiences.
The Pakistan-born Rafiq, who is Muslim, described his distressing first experience of alcohol at the age of 15 after being asked about his drinking.
“I got pinned down at my local cricket club and had red wine poured down my throat, literally down my throat,” the 30-year-old Rafiq said. “I (then) didn’t touch alcohol until about 2012 and around that time I felt I had to do that to fit in. I wasn’t perfect. There are things I did which I felt I had to do to achieve my dreams.
“I deeply regret that but it has nothing to do with racism. When I spoke I should have been listened to. The game as a whole has a problem, with listening to the victim. There is no ‘yeah, but’ with racism; there is no ‘two sides’ to racism.”
English cricket racism exposed by victim Rafiq at parliament
https://arab.news/64tpe
English cricket racism exposed by victim Rafiq at parliament
- “Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes, I do," said Rafiq, who played for Yorkshire — England's most successful cricket club
- Racism complaints that led to Yorkshire launching an investigation in September 2020 reached the British Parliament
Disappointing year ends with dismal defeat for Saudi Arabia
- Oman go on to face either Bahrain or Kuwait in the final
RIYADH: New Year’s Eve 2024 saw Saudi Arabia lose 2-1 to Oman to crash out of the Arabian Gulf Cup at the semifinal stage and end a below-par 2024 on a low note.
With just one win in six 2026 World Cup qualifiers that resume in March, coach Herve Renard hoped to kick-start the national team’s fortunes with success in the Gulf Cup, currently being held in Kuwait.
The Frenchman’s desire was dashed despite Oman playing the majority of the game with ten men as Rabia Al-Alawi was shown a straight red in the 34th minute for a wild lunge on Salem Al-Dawsari. As the Al-Nahda star left the pitch in the Kuwait City stadium, Saudi Arabian fans were expecting a comfortable win but despite the possession and chances, the Green Falcons were unable to take advantage of their one-man advantage.
Oman redoubled their efforts to deny their opponents time and space but Saudi Arabia, seeking a first Gulf Cup win since 2004, had the ball in the net midway through the second half. Abdullah Al-Hamdan had scored twice against Iraq three days earlier, but his close-range effort was ruled out for offside.
It was Oman who took the lead in the 74th minute as Arshad Al-Alawi fired home a free-kick from outside the area, squeezing his shot under the Saudi wall.
Herve Renard’s men pushed forward in search of an equalizer but found themselves two goals down with five minutes remaining after Ali Al-Busaidi scored again for Oman.
It looked to be game over but Mohamed Kanno pulled a goal back in the 87th minute to cut short the Omani celebrations and give Saudi Arabian fans hope. The Al-Hilal midfielder curled home a beauty from outside the area.
It was too little too late, however. In the 10th minute of added time, Abdulelah Hawsawi was sent off to level the number of players on both sides but despite the pressure, the men from Riyadh were unable to level the scores and now have to return home with much to ponder.
Oman, meanwhile, go on to face either Bahrain or Kuwait in the final.
Djokovic, Sabalenka win season-openers but Kyrgios loses on return
- Former world number one Novak Djokovic is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown in January in Melbourne
- Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios loses in three tight sets in his first singles match since June 2023
BRISBANE, Australia: Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka launched their Australian Open preparations with straight-sets wins on Tuesday at the Brisbane International but Nick Kyrgios lost on his return from injury.
Former world number one Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown in January in Melbourne, eased to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over wildcard Rinky Hijikata.
The 37-year-old Serb broke Hijikata once in the first set and twice in the second for a comfortable 74-minute win.
Djokovic, now ranked seven in the world, was all business against the young Australian and always looked in control as he set up a second-round clash against fellow veteran Gael Monfils.
“To start the new season with a win is obviously very important,” said Djokovic, who is pursuing an unprecedented 11th Australian Open title.
“But Hijikata was really good tonight and he made me work for it.”
Australian firebrand Kyrgios lost in three tight sets in his first singles match since June 2023.
Kyrgios went down 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3) to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in almost two and a half hours as serve dominated.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, 29, is making his comeback following wrist reconstruction and other injuries over the past couple of years.
Ahead of the Australian Open starting on January 12, big-serving Mpetshi Perricard said Kyrgios had shown enough to suggest that his comeback would be a success.
Kyrgios played and won in the doubles with Djokovic on Monday.
“Playing Nick here wasn’t a good match-up for me,” the 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard said, asked about playing Kyrgios in front of his home crowd.
“He did some good things, he played with confidence.”
The Frenchman, who has risen from 205 in the world at the start of 2024 to his current ranking of 31, fired down 36 aces.
Women’s world number one Sabalenka kickstarted her bid to win the Australian Open for a third consecutive time with a straight-forward win after a sluggish start.
The Belarusian appeared bothered by the high humidity on Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, particularly during an error-strewn first set against Renata Zarazua.
But after breaking Mexico’s Zarazua at 5-4, the 26-year-old surged through the second set to wrap up the match 6-4, 6-0 in 65 minutes.
“The first match is always a tricky one,” Sabalenka said.
“It was a tricky start for me but I’m glad that I closed it out in the first set, and in the second set I felt like whatever I tried to do it would work for me.
“So I’m really happy for the first win of the season.”
Sabalenka is bidding to be the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997-99 to win three Australian Opens in succession.
She will play Yulia Putintseva next after the Kazakh’s 6-2, 7-5 win over American Mccartney Kessler.
Pakistan’s Azan Ali Khan clinches Junior Under-17 Scottish Open squash title
- Khan defeats Swiss opponent to win tournament that featured players from 22 nations
- Khan will now compete in the British Open World Junior Squash Championship next year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani squash player Azan Ali Khan clinched the Junior Under-17 Scottish Junior Open Championship 2024 in Edinburgh this week, defeating Switzerland’s Landro Wagle in the final while remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, a non-government organization sponsoring him said on Tuesday.
The Scottish Junior Open 2024 was held from Dec. 28 to 30, featuring players from 22 countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Egypt and the United States.
“Azlan Ali Khan has emerged as the champion of the 2024 Scottish Junior Open Championship,” Muslim Hands Pakistan, Khan’s sponsor, said in a statement. “Azan Ali Khan defeated Switzerland’s Landro Wagle in the final to win the title.”
Muslim Hands Pakistan, a branch of the UK-based charity, works to alleviate poverty, sickness and lack of education in the country. It operates over 335 schools, serving more than 25,000 students and runs projects in health care, water, sanitation and vocational training.
Khan dedicated his victory to Pakistan’s out-of-school children. The South Asian country has a population 22.8 million out-of-school children aged 5-16 years, making Pakistan the country with the second-highest number of out-of-school children.
Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Youth Program, congratulated Khan, his coach and team manager on the achievement.
“Azan Ali Khan is now preparing for the next stage and will compete in the British Open World Junior Squash Championship,” Muslim Hands said. “The British Open World Junior Squash Championship will be held from January 2 to January 6 in Birmingham.”
Hart triple-double sparks Knicks to eighth straight NBA win
- At Salt Lake City the Denver Nuggets got triple-doubles from Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook in beating the Utah Jazz 132-121
- The NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers, led by 25 points from Darius Garland and 23 by Donovan Mitchell, rolled over host Golden State 113-95 to improve their win streak to seven
WASHINGTON: Josh Hart delivered his third triple-double of the season on Monday to spark the New York Knicks to a 126-106 victory at Washington that stretched their win streak to eight games.
Hart had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his ninth triple-double with the Knicks while Karl-Anthony Towns had a game-high 32 points and 13 rebounds.
Jalen Brunson and O.G. Anunoby each scored 18 points for New York, which improved to 23-10.
The Knicks led 59-57 at half time over the Eastern Conference doormats and pulled away in the third quarter before dominating the fourth to win.
“We executed, we got stops, we played fast,” Hart said. “We played to our strengths. Sometimes it takes us a little while to wake up. We always do.”
At Salt Lake City the Denver Nuggets got triple-doubles from Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook in beating the Utah Jazz 132-121.
Jokic had 36 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists while Westbrook contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to ignite the Nuggets.
Michael Porter added 21 points for Denver while Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each scored 20 for the Nuggets (18-13).
The NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers, led by 25 points from Darius Garland and 23 by Donovan Mitchell, rolled over host Golden State 113-95 to improve their win streak to seven.
Reserve Moses Moody led the Warriors with 19 points while Stephen Curry managed only 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting, 3-of-11 from three-point range.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid scored 37 points and grabbed nine rebounds to power the 76ers to their fourth victory in a row, a 125-103 triumph at Portland.
Tyrese Maxey added 23 points for the Sixers.
At New Orleans, James Harden sank four free throws in the final 17 seconds to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 116-113 victory over the host Pelicans, the NBA’s worst club dropping a 10th consecutive game to sink to 5-28.
Norman Powell scored a game-high 35 points while Harden added 27 as the Clippers improved to 19-13.
De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 33 points and the Sacramento Kings, who trailed by as many as 18 points, beat visiting Dallas 110-100 to snap a six-game losing streak.
The Kings closed the third quarter with a 17-2 run for an 83-77 lead entering the fourth, which began with an 11-4 Sacramento run for a 94-81 edge as the hosts pulled away to stay.
The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Elsewhere, Coby White had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to spark the Chicago Bulls’ 115-108 overtime victory at Charlotte.
Miles Bridges, who had a game-high 31 points for the Hornets, hit a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime at 98-98.
Emma Raducanu pulls out of Australian Open warm-up with back injury
- Former US Open champion will now fly to Melbourne to begin rehabilitation ahead of the year’s first major
- The 22-year-old has suffered a series of injuries since bursting onto the scene with her New York triumph in 2021
AUCKLAND: Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu pulled out of the Auckland Classic on Tuesday with a “back niggle” in a blow to her Australian Open preparations.
Britain’s Raducanu will now fly to Melbourne to begin rehabilitation ahead of the year’s first major starting on January 12.
The 22-year-old has suffered a series of injuries since bursting onto the scene with her New York triumph in 2021.
“I’ve tried my best to be ready. I love Auckland and the fans here,” the 56th-ranked Raducanu said.
“But unfortunately I’ve picked up a back niggle and I won’t be ready in time.”
Raducanu is traveling with renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura in an attempt to better withstand the rigors of professional tennis.
Raducanu missed a chunk of 2023 following wrist and ankle surgery, and was recently sidelined for two months by a foot injury.
Former Australian Open semifinalist Elize Mertens also withdrew Tuesday hours before the second seed’s first-round match in Auckland.
Top seed Madison Keys defied blustery conditions to win her first-round match in straight sets over Lucia Bronzetti.
American world number 21 Keys was relieved to start her season with a solid 6-4, 6-4 outing against the Italian.
“I feel like we all come out, we’re a little bit nervous, but it’s obviously so much fun to be back out here,” she said.
“Lucia is one of those players who’s just going to make you keep on having to play shots. So it’s great for the confidence this early in the season.”
The 29-year-old will next play unseeded Romanian Jaqueline Cristian after her Ukrainian opponent Yuliia Starodubtseva retired during their second set.
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin beat China’s Wang Xiyu 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, the American setting up a second-round match against fifth-seeded Dane Clara Tauson.
