Yorkshire racism events have fractured our game and torn lives apart: Joe Root

Gold Coast (Queensland) : England Test captain Joe Root has condemned the ‘intolerable’ racism scandal happening at his county club Yorkshire, saying that the events have fractured the game and torn lives apart. He added that there needs to be a way for ensuring that events like this never happen again.

Yorkshire has been in the centre of a racism scandal after former club player Azeem Rafiq talked about facing bullying and racial harassment during his two spells at Yorkshire. After the summary of a report confirmed that Rafiq was a victim of ‘racial harassment and bullying’, the club said that no one would be disciplined for the happenings with the former player. This led to wide criticism of Yorkshire, with sponsors stalling their associations followed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) suspending them from hosting international matches.

“In my capacity as England captain and as a senior player at Yorkshire, I feel compelled to address the current situation that has consumed the sport and YCCC. I just want the sport to be a place where everyone is enjoying it for the beautiful game it is and feels equal and safe. 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,” said Root in a statement posted on his social media accounts.

Root, who has been associated with Yorkshire since 2009, also said that he will reach out to Lord Kamlesh Patel, the new Chairman of the club after Roger Hutton resigned. “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.”

Root, who will be captaining England in 2021/22 Ashes in Australia, starting from December 8 in Brisbane, further remarked that change has to happen in English cricket. “That being said, we, as a sport, all have to do more. How can we all help shape things moving forward positively? What can everyone from myself, the ECB, counties, players, officials and others in the sport do to improve the state of the game? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think we need to educate more and earlier; we must call it out straight away and have our eyes and ears open more.”

“Inclusivity, diversity and anti-discrimination is something over the past few years the England teams I have been involved in have spent a lot of time talking about and are very passionate about improving and making a big difference. It’s a big part of our culture, and we want to celebrate our diversity.”

“We are representing England, and in that, we are representing the multicultural society we live in. We want all the fans to be able to enjoy what we do on the field and feel proud about who’s representing them. With the Ashes fast approaching, I’d really like the fans back home to unite and get behind us as a team. We will be playing for you all.”