On Thursday, England captain Joe Root has reacted to the racism controversy going around the Yorkshire County Cricket Club after former player Azeem Rafiq’s allegations against them. Root has said that the incident has “fractured our game and torn lives apart.”
Rafiq, who used to belong from Pakistan earlier and a former captain of the England Under-19s, stated in September 2020 that he had received racist abuse and was made to feel like an outsider at Yorkshire as well. The 30-year-old also said he had tried suicide too. Notably, last week, the England cricket board has suspended Yorkshire from hosting any matches – be it international or any major event due to Rafiq’s allegations. Moreover, former chairman Roger Hutton has resigned and was replaced by Kamlesh Patel as well.
READ HERE: Shaun Tait explains why speedsters struggle to bowl 150+kmph
Joe Root, who has been playing for Yorkshire since making his debut way back in 2010, has now opened up on the entire episode and tried to help new Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel in whatever way he can do to “educate unify and reset” the club.
— Joe Root (@root66) November 11, 2021
“It hurts knowing this has happened at YCCC so close to home. It’s my club that I care passionately about it. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting. There is no debate about racism, no one side or other. It is simply intolerable. These events have fractured our game and torn lives apart. We must now recover and come back together as fans, players, media, and those who work within cricket. We have an opportunity to make the sport I love better for everyone,” Joe Root said in a statement released on his official Twitter account.
READ HERE: Aakash Chopra opens up on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad
“I want to see change and actions that will see YCCC rise from this with a culture that harnesses a diverse environment with trust across all communities that support cricket in the county. We need to educate, unify and reset. I will reach out to YCCC new Chair, Lord Patel, to offer support however I’m able. We have to find a way to move forward and make sure this never happens again. In my opinion, this is a societal issue and needs addressing further afield than just cricket. That being said, we, as a sport, all have to do more,” he concluded.
