"I feel scared to go in there because of the threats" - Azeem Rafiq's business facing bomb threats for speaking against racism
Former English cricketer Azeem Rafiq has thrown light on how his business suffered after he went public with allegations of institutional racism at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Rafiq revealed that a person even threatened to blow up his fish-chop business.
Rafiq, in 2020, first spoke of facing racism from the coaching staff, chairman and players during his playing days with Yorkshire. The 30-year old provided some explosive evidence during the DCMS hearing in November last year after which sweeping changes took place.
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My response to YCCC’s statement/report on that Friday morning at the cancellation of the the Test Match 👊🏽👊🏽
The fight continues … https://t.co/zrsX7uopWB
In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed fearing for his life after the bomb threats. The former off-spinner said he set up his business after plenty of struggle and hard work.
"I'd worked really hard for a year and a half to get that business up and running, and now I feel scared to go in there because of the threats and being a very easy target in the town centre. We had a couple of instances at the shop and I was there when a gentleman came in and talked about having a bomb he would use to blow the place up. I'm now mindful that everything is reported to the police because the authorities protect us."
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has replaced their entire coaching staff and the board, with Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford appointed as its new chairman. Former English cricketers like Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, Gary Balance, David Lloyd and Michael Vaughan's names surfaced in Rafiq's accusations.
"I'm aware of the individuals and the institutions trying to threaten me" - Azeem Rafiq
Former Yorkshire captain Azeem Rafiq says he "lost faith in humanity" after his reports of racist behaviour were "ignored" by the club
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The former Yorkshire cricketer also revealed he is aware of the people trying to bring him down but he refuses to be intimidated. The 30-year old acknowledged Yorkshire's attempt to right the wrongs and added:
"Yeah, I'm aware of the individuals and institutions. I'm suffering on a daily basis but I want them to know I'll keep fighting. There's been a real attempt to do the right thing and understand racism in Yorkshire. Once you say sorry, you can actually do something about it. But I have real concerns about the other counties and the ECB."
Yorkshire's new coaching staff consists of the experienced Ottis Gibson as head coach. They are likely to add Younis Khan and Allan Donald in their ranks.