Nike pulls the pin as English cricket crisis rages on

The 30-year-old Rafiq accused Yorkshire of failing to deal adequately with his allegations of racism during his time with the English county.

In September, Yorkshire offered the Pakistan-born off-spinner “profound and unreserved apologies” in a report commissioned by the club into his allegations of racial abuse.

But last week Yorkshire said they would take no disciplinary action against any staff, unleashing a wave of criticism and prompting sponsors, including Nike, to turn their back on the club.

Now the ECB, who said they found this matter “abhorrent and against the spirit of cricket and its values”, have stripped Headingley, Yorkshire’s headquarters in Leeds, of the right to stage a Test between England and New Zealand in June 2022, as well as a one-day international with South Africa in July.

“YCCC (Yorkshire County Cricket Club) are suspended from hosting international or major matches until it has clearly demonstrated that it can meet the standards expected of an international venue, ECB member and first-class county,” said a board statement.

Meanwhile, the ECB said Gary Ballance, who admitted using a racial slur against Rafiq during their time together at Yorkshire, would be “suspended indefinitely” from England selection pending an investigation into his conduct, even though it is four years since the Zimbabwe-born batter last played international cricket.

The ECB, English cricket’s governing body, warned they could also impose financial sanctions on Yorkshire, amid “serious questions” regarding the county’s governance and management.

Earlier, Rafiq said the row was about “institutional racism and abject failures by numerous leaders at Yorkshire” and in the wider game.

“The sport I love and my club desperately need reform and cultural change,” Rafiq posted on Twitter.

The controversy has drawn in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with his spokesman ramping up the pressure on the ECB prior to Friday’s statement from English cricket’s governing body by saying: “The PM’s clear that racist language should never be used in any context whatsoever … We urge the ECB to look at this carefully.”

Rafiq, Yorkshire’s chairman and the county’s chief executive and director of cricket, have all been summoned to testify before a parliamentary committee on November 16.

Ballance apologised for his conduct in a statement on Wednesday, saying: “I regret that I used this word in immature exchanges in my younger years.

“I have to be clear that this was a situation where best friends said offensive things to each other which, outside of that context, would be considered wholly inappropriate.”

However, Rafiq said that despite the condemnation of his treatment at Yorkshire, he was still the target of abuse.

“Even after everything that is out there, there seems to be personal attacks coming. What a sad state of affairs,” he said.

Ballance’s admission came after publishing company Emerald ended their title sponsorship of Headingley over the handling of a report that found Rafiq suffered “racial harassment and bullying” at the club, with other sponsors following suit.

Meanwhile, global sportswear giant Nike said: “Nike will no longer be the kit supplier for Yorkshire CCC.

“We stand firmly against racism and discrimination of any kind.”

Rafiq, who represented Yorkshire in two spells between 2008 and 2018, made 43 allegations and said he had been driven to thoughts of suicide by his treatment at the club.

Yorkshire’s redacted report upheld seven of his claims but concluded the club was not institutionally racist.

Originally published as Nike pulls the pin as English cricket crisis rages on