Statement on Yorkshire County Cricket Club racism complaints

The leader of Leeds City Council and the council’s executive member with responsibility for sport have issued the following statement on Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:

“The way Azeem Rafiq’s allegations have been handled by Yorkshire County Cricket Club appears totally unacceptable. I know the reported lack of action by the club against individuals who were found to have used racist language is offensive to so many people in Leeds. The club urgently needs to address the organisation and culture factors that allowed this to happen and the cricket authorities need to intervene and make sure these issues never happen again.”

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for public health and active lifestyles, said:

“Cricket is a much loved game amongst the Pakistani and the wider South Asian community in Leeds, but the way Yorkshire County Cricket Club have handled Azeem Rafiq’s allegations is damaging to the community’s relationship with them. They now need to reach out to our communities and start to rebuild the trust that has very clearly been lost.”