Azeem Rafiq being called 'P**i' was ' friendly banter', reveals Yorkshire racism report

Azeem Rafiq had earlier lodged a complaint regarding racism in the Yorkshire Cricket Club and in the latest turn of events, a report by the club has ruled the insults towards him as ‘friendly banters.’ He was allegedly called a ‘P*ki’ by at least one of his teammates who is known to be a senior figure in the team.

The player has admitted that he referred to Rafiq by that particular slur but was given a clean chit after the use of the term was called “friendly and good-natured banter” between the players of the team. As per the reports by ESPNcricinfo, the player also admitted that he told other teammates to not to engage in any conversation with Rafiq as he is a ‘P*ki.’

The offending party used to taunt Rafiq whenever they saw any South Asian men with a beard and asked if they are his relatives. All these abuses reduced Rafiq into tears but the accused player insisted that he would have stopped if he would have known that he is hurting. The investigation team of the club is working on the reports submitted by Rafiq and concluded statements aimed at him as-

“capable of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” while accepting “evidence that he was offended, degraded or humiliated and that this amounted to harassment under the Equality Act and the Club’s Equal Opportunities policy.”

Azeem Rafiq calls a Zimbabwean played ‘Zimbo from Zimbabwe’

A panel containing Asian members and whose conclusions were final with the club added that it- “does not accept that Azeem was offended by [the other player’s] comments, either at the time they were made or subsequently,”

Further, the reports stated that Rafiq should have taken these comments in good spirit rather than getting offended by them. However, the latest plot of twist has revealed that Rafiq has also allegedly referred to a Zimbabwe cricketer as “Zimbo from Zimbabwe” which is being viewed as derogatory and racist. However, it is just like calling Kiwis and Kangaroos to cricketers belonging from New Zealand and Australia respectively.