A delegation of Yorkshire staff wrote to their board last month to bitterly complain about the club’s failure to stand up to Azeem Rafiq’s “one-man mission to bring down the club”.
In a letter seen by Telegraph Sport, signatories criticise Rafiq’s behaviour at the club and even express fury over an apology issued when it was revealed seven of his 43 abuse claims were proven.
The correspondence, sent out on Oct 14, lays bare for the first time the “extreme hurt” of staff, who felt they and the club were facing unfair attacks amid the toxic legal row that has engulfed them.
“Staff who knew Azeem well felt that an initial apology to him and an acceptance that he was a victim was not the correct approach and misrepresented entirely what kind of individual he was whilst at the club,” the letter says.
“There are endless episodes of Azeem’s behaviour, well-known to the club, which reflect on him as a person well before he decided to accuse the club, staff and players of any wrongdoing. We find it difficult to comprehend how this part of Azeem’s character has not been released or at least used by the club in its defence.”
On Wednesday night Lord Patel, the club’s new chairman, confirmed the letter had been sent. “It is troubling for many reasons, and further evidence of the wider issues the Club has faced,” he added.
The letter was issued three weeks after the club had published a “summary” of the findings of the 12-month inquiry into Rafiq catalogue of race claims. Investigators found there was “no question” of racial harassment at Yorkshire, the club acknowledged. However, there was no mention of the conclusion, which has subsequently come to light, detailing how a “P—” insult aimed at Rafiq amounted to “banter”.
Yorkshire staff, however, detail their anger in the letter about having their reputations dragged through the mud by a player they describe as being “problematic in the dressing room”. Rafiq’s case is described in the letter as a “one-man mission to bring down the club and with it, people of genuine integrity, is extremely hurtful” and “the criticism aimed at and the subsequent pain felt by both our director of cricket [Martyn Moxon] and chief executive [Mark Arthur] is not only misdirected but is also grossly unfair”. It adds that “we see no support from the board to protect these two”.
In T20 cricket, Rafiq’s stats compare favourably with rivals, having taken 102 wickets across 95 matches during his career. However, in the staff’s assessment, the off-spinner, who this week agreed a six-figure payout over his claims, had under-performed. The authors add: “Azeem “is a complex character. He had and demanded, very significant and constant staff support whilst at the club… He became an under-performer on the field, he was problematic in the dressing room.”
Staff claim media made defamatory comments about club
The letter, which is believed to have been received by chairman Roger Hutton and other members of the board, says the club should have had a plan to return fire over the criticism it has faced. “Azeem, his solicitors and various members of the media continue to make defamatory comments about the club, as well as targeting individual members of staff and the roles that they fulfil,” they add.
Rafiq, 30, had been given “a pedestal for his accusations” and the authors “find it surprising that at no point throughout this investigation anybody from the board…. approached us to find out more about the character of Azeem”.
The letter goes on to ask “why was a strong rebuttal of Azeem’s claims not given at the outset of this case?” and that “the reputational damage that this is doing to the club and all the staff associated with it is deeply upsetting and its reflection on us as individuals, is of equal concern”.
“The allegations and subsequent external criticisms levelled at the Club and individuals is having a profound effect on us all physically, emotionally and psychologically and could well impact on us in our respective professional fields in the future”, the letter adds.
The authors add that it is “not clear what that strategy is, as it has not been formally communicated to any of us. It is of great disappointment that at no time has there been any statement from the Board in support of the current staff or players for that matter. This needs to be addressed immediately”.
Letter says: Azeem did not share White Rose values
The authors conclude their letter by explaining they “every day we proudly wear the badge”. “There is a deep level of care, loyalty and respect amongst the current staff and players,” the letter adds. “We are a team in every sense of that word, united as one and bound by the White Rose values (values incidentally which Azeem did not share during his time at the Club.)”
They sign off by adding: “We urge the board and the club to now support and represent its staff. Hopefully you will view this letter in the spirit that it has been written. We would also be more than willing to meet as a group if you felt that would be valuable.”
It is not known how Hutton and the board responded to the authors, whom The Telegraph has agreed not to name in the wake of staff facing death threats over the weekend. A fortnight later, on Thursday Oct 28, the row would escalate again as Yorkshire said all their staff and executives would be spared disciplinary action despite the admission Rafiq was subjected to racism.
Hutton was eventually forced to resign after the row erupted into a full scale national furore involving attacks from Downing Street last week.
His successor, Patel, told Telegraph Sport on Wednesday night that he had been made aware of the letter over the weekend. “I have publicly stated that Azeem Rafiq is a whistleblower and should be treated as such. It is essential for our culture that we believe those who have suffered discrimination or abuse, and pledge to hear their experiences,” he added.
“It is also important to acknowledge that our poor handling of this issue includes communications with staff. Part of our duty of care towards them will be to talk to all at the Club about their experiences to understand internal perspectives. We must be mindful of the toll the past 18 months has taken. There is clear and urgent need for seismic change at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, starting from within. We must get to the bottom of our culture and learn from our mistakes, and that means understanding the past. I have set out my vision, to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a place for everyone, from all backgrounds, and become a Club which people can trust to do the right thing.”
A spokesman for Rafiq declined to comment on the letter to the board.
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