The International Cricket Thread

[Ad@m]

Former England cricketer Gary Ballance has admitted using a racial slur against ex-Yorkshire teammate Azeem Rafiq.

In a statement the batsman, who played 23 Test matches for England, said he regretted using the word.

He said: "I am aware of how hurtful the racial slur is and I regret that I used this word in immature exchanges in my younger years and I am sure Rafa feels the same about some of the things he said to me as well."

I bet he doesn't you daft racist!

[PaulWinch again]

Urgh apologise and acknowledge what you said was unacceptable don’t try and turn it round.

[cdbearsfan]

That's a terrible statement. Sack the twat.

[VILLA MOLE]

That's a terrible statement. Sack the twat.

just bantz obvs

[PaulWinch again]

I’m staggered by the awfulness of Yorkshire’s handling of this. How did they think this would just go away without consequence?

[Ad@m]

I’m staggered by the awfulness of Yorkshire’s handling of this. How did they think this would just go away without consequence?

You mean you don't have faith in an organisation that said had he still been a player they would've punished Rafiq in this situation because he called Ballance a Zimbo?

[Risso]

I’m staggered by the awfulness of Yorkshire’s handling of this. How did they think this would just go away without consequence?

You mean you don't have faith in an organisation that said had he still been a player they would've punished Rafiq in this situation because he called Ballance a Zimbo?

Is that what they said, bloody hell. We've got a girl from Zimbabwe who helps us with babysitting and the kids' horses etc, and we went to her 21st birthday party last week. Loads of people from Zim there, and Zimbo is just a slang term like Aussie or Brit. I'm not aware there are any negative connotations to the word, and I heard it used several times at the party last week.

[tomd2103]

Think the implication was that he referred to Ballance as "Zimbo from Zimbabwe" which I suppose could be viewed as a form of mockery.

I have played sports for many years with people from many different backgrounds and heard a lot of what is referred to as "banter", but some of the stuff coming out of all of this seems way beyond what would be considered acceptable in pretty much any environment imaginable.

Guess we'll have to wait and see what comes out later in the month to get the full story.

[Ad@m]

I’m staggered by the awfulness of Yorkshire’s handling of this. How did they think this would just go away without consequence?

You mean you don't have faith in an organisation that said had he still been a player they would've punished Rafiq in this situation because he called Ballance a Zimbo?

Is that what they said, bloody hell. We've got a girl from Zimbabwe who helps us with babysitting and the kids' horses etc, and we went to her 21st birthday party last week. Loads of people from Zim there, and Zimbo is just a slang term like Aussie or Brit. I'm not aware there are any negative connotations to the word, and I heard it used several times at the party last week.

The panel go on to state that Rafiq might be "expected to take such comments in the spirit in which they were intended (i.e. good natured banter between friends)… [so] it was not reasonable for Azeem to have been offended by [the other player] directing equally offensive or derogatory comments back at him in the same spirit of friendly banter".

Rafiq was also accused by the panel of using "offensive, racially derogatory comments" when referring to a player of Zimbabwean heritage as "Zimbo from Zimbabwe".

The panel reportedly recommended that - were Rafiq still a Yorkshire player - he should face disciplinary action for using the term.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/yorkshire-cricket-players-racist-jibe-22029605

If nothing else, YCCC reaching that conclusion tells you're they're institutionally racist.

[cdbearsfan]

They've had international matches taken off them, at least for now.

[Ad@m]

They've had international matches taken off them, at least for now.

This could bankrupt YCCC. 

They've lost all their major sponsors and have now had their only real means of revenue taken away from them.  Based on latest financial statements available (2019), of their £18m of revenue, they earned £10.5m from international matches and £3m in commercial income, the vast majority of which will be from their sponsors.  When you take out the £3.4m of cost associated with hosting international matches, that leaves them a c.£10m p.a. hole to fill.

I can't see how the board survive this.

[Gareth]

Vaughan mow implicated in report, thought he was a bit quiet on the issue

[Ad@m]

Chairman of YCCC has resigned, but it turns out it's not his fault either.

You see he told the board it was wrong but they wouldn't listen to him.  And he told the ECB too but they wouldn't help either.

So that's presumably why he resigned when he raised his concerns and they were ignored, as he didn't want to be part of an organisation that tolerated racism, rather than wait until it all came out in the press and he got shamed in to resigning....?

Clearly, the bullying and racism are the worst part of this, but the statements being put out in "defence" of people implicated are almost as bad!  In years to come, kids at Public Relations School (I assume that's where PR guys get taught!) will do case studies on YCCC as a case of how to get it completely wrong!!!

[Risso]

Vaughan mow implicated in report, thought he was a bit quiet on the issue

I suspect he might be cherrypicking bits to make a point, but being accused of racism because he said somebody was a decent offspinner is surely a bit much.

[Gareth]

Absolutely the stuff about Williamson was a massive clutch at straws item.