Cricketer Azeem Rafiq has laid out a litany of “inhuman” racial abuse he suffered at Yorkshire County Cricket Club in an extraordinary testimony before MPs.
During an emotional appearance on Tuesday, the professional cricketer gave evidence of appalling incidents of racial abuse he and other players of colour suffered at the club.
Rafiq has been waiting for the chance to air his full allegations in the public arena and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing offered him the opportunity to speak with the protection of parliamentary privilege – a freedom he used to issue a string of previously unheard claims.
As well as going into disturbing detail of his time at Headingley, Rafiq, 30, took his accusations close to the top of the game, suggesting racially derogatory use of the term ‘Kevin’ by former teammate Gary Ballance was “an open secret in the England dressing room”. He further alleged that another former England batter, Alex Hales, had given a dog the name because it was black.
Rafiq’s voice cracked and he fought back tears on several occasions but he spoke with clarity and resolve for almost an hour and 40 minutes, interrupted only by one brief adjournment when emotion got the better of him.
Rafiq concluded that racial discrimination, and his decision to take a stand against it, had cost him his career in a sport that he feels has ingrained problems above and beyond his own story.
International players were named, including current England captain Joe Root. Rafiq said he found it “hurtful” that the player he called "a good guy" denied hearing racist comments despite allegedly being present during looker-room taunts.
Rafiq appeared before MPs after Yorkshire’s inept handling of his racism complaint. An internal report substantiated his accusations yet the club failed to take any disciplinary action against serving personnel.
Members looked on aghast as the player detailed allegations of racist remarks that were so common he said many players failed to even notice them.
A Pakistani-born Muslim who moved to Yorkshire as a boy, Rafiq outlined one incident when a professional Yorkshire cricketer forced red wine down his throat when he as only 15. It was the first time he had drunk alcohol and he later went on to become a heavy drinker.
Constant references of the derogatory P-word were used against him and other non-white players, along with slurs such as suggesting bearded Asian men in the street were Rafiq's “uncle”.
Rafiq, who played for England schoolboys, fought tears recounting the moment when in 2017, shortly after he had made a formal complaint about racism, his son was stillborn but the next day he had faced criticism from former England player and Yorkshire stalwart Martyn Moxon.
“My first day back after losing my son, Martyn Moxon got me in a room and literally ripped shreds off me,” he said. “The treatment that I received from some of the other officials was inhuman, they weren't really bothered about the fact that I was training one day and I got a phone call saying there's ‘there's no heartbeat’.”
The treatment that I received from some of the other officials was inhuman
Azeem Rafiq
It was some distance from his rapture on joining Yorkshire, then a team filled with his sporting heroes, including former England captain Michael Vaughan and bowler Matthew Hoggard.
But Rafiq, a talented off-spinner and decent batsman with a first-class century to his name, was almost immediately subjected to abuse.
“Me and other people from an Asian background … there were comments such as ‘you’ll sit over there near the toilets’, ‘elephant washers’. The word P*** was used constantly. And there just seemed to be an acceptance in the institution from the leaders and no one ever stamped it out.”
Several times he named former England batsman and ex-Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance as regularly using the “P-word” and for introducing the name “Kevin” which was an “open secret” in the England dressing room “to describe anyone of colour in a very derogatory manner.”
Mr Ballance, originally from Zimbabwe, has since apologised for his actions.
Hales, another former England player, named his dog “Kevin” because it was black. “It’s disgusting how much of a joke it was,” Rafiq said. Hales has posted on Instagram about his dog “Kev”.
Root has publicly refuted the allegation that he heard racial abuse at Yorkshire. But Rafiq found the captain’s denial “hurtful” because Root was Ballance’s housemate and “had been involved in a lot of the socialising where I was called a ‘P***’”.
“Rooty is a good man, he never engaged in racist language. It shows how normal it was that even a good man like him doesn’t see it for what it was. It’s not going to affect Joe but it’s something I remember every day.”
Rafiq said 2005 Ashes winner Matthew Hoggard, once a hero of his and subsequently a teammate, had phoned him to apologise for hurtful comments, and that he had raised a complaint about the conduct of other players.
He claimed Jack Brooks, a two-time County Championship winner at Yorkshire, had started the disrespectful practice of calling India star Cheteshwar Pujara “Steve” during his stint at the club.
Rafiq was scathing about the assistance offered by the Professional Cricketers’ Association, who represent the interests of all players in this episode, and the personal development manager he was assigned by the organisation, Matthew Wood, whom, he claimed, was working “for Yorkshire, with Yorkshire” and not in his best interests.
The cricketer, who was brought up in the Yorkshire town of Barnsley, was spotted as a teenager and played for England Under-19s.
“All I wanted to do was play cricket and play for England and live my dream and live my family’s dream,” he said.
But that ideal was shattered by his racism complaint that at one point last year took him close to killing himself.
He told MPs that the problem at Yorkshire was replicated “up and down the country” and England and Wales Cricket Board initiatives on diversity were “box-ticking” exercises and “tokenism”.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been named in the independent report into Rafiq’s claims, but has strenuously denied allegations he told four of his Asian teammates that there was “too many of your lot, we need to do something about it”.
Asked about Vaughan, Rafiq said: “He probably doesn’t remember it because it doesn’t mean anything to him.”
Rafiq, married with two young children, said by speaking out as a “voice for the voiceless” he hoped that there could be a “massive change” in attitude because he was “staggered” when Yorkshire announced no one would face disciplinary action over his experience at the club.
"All I wanted was an acceptance, an apology, an understanding, and let's try and work together to ensure it never happens again," he said. “I want to help the young lads who want to achieve their dreams to prepare better.”
He said that a change would also benefit England’s first team with a current dearth of South Asian players in the professional game despite its popularity in the community.
British Asian representation in professional cricket has since 2010 dropped nearly 40 per cent and England have missed out on "a hell of a lot of talent", Rafiq said.
Roger Hutton, Yorkshire's former chairman who resigned this month, also gave evidence and offered his "profound apologies" to Rafiq. He said Moxon and former chief executive Mark Arthur had "failed to accept the gravity of the situation" and “have not wanted to apologise or take the recommendations of the panel going forward".
Both men have subsequently resigned but neither accepted the committee’s invitation to appear before it.
Their club has suffered a severe financial shock from the crisis with sponsors, including Nike and Yorkshire Tea, withdrawing and the club being banned from hosting Test matches at their Headingley ground.
The MPs hoped that the club would publish the damning report into Rafiq’s complaints, something it continues to refuse to do.
Speaking after the evidence was given, Prime Minster Boris Johnson called on the cricket authorities to take “immediate action” in response to the evidence of Azeem Rafiq to MPs.
The Prime Minister praised Mr Rafiq’s courage in speaking out about racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
“Brave testimony from Azeem Rafiq. I commend him for speaking out,” Mr Johnson tweeted.
“There is no excuse for racism anywhere in society and we expect @EnglandCricket and @YorkshireCCC to take immediate action in response to these allegations.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The%20specs
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
SPECS
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
