AZEEM RAFIQ believes Gary Ballance should still be allowed to play for Yorkshire again — as long as he says sorry.
But Rafiq insists there should be no future in the game for disgraced coach and ex-captain Andrew Gale, plus director of cricket Martyn Moxon.
Former Yorkshire all-rounder Rafiq was speaking 24 hours after his brave and breathtaking evidence at a Digital, Media, Culture and Sport hearing on Tuesday.
He wants acceptance and accountability from the people who put him through years of racist and bullying hell. But he is prepared to accept the hand of reconciliation from some.
Ballance, who has a three-year contract with Yorkshire, routinely called Rafiq “P***” and mocked him, in what he believed at the time was verbal jousting with a close friend. Rafiq said it was hurtful, demeaning and isolating.
Ballance, 31, was suspended from playing for England after admitting abusing Rafiq, although he has not played international cricket since 2017.
Rafiq insisted yesterday: “If Gary apologises properly and has some sort of acceptance and accountability, he should be allowed to play.
“Anyone who apologises deserves a second chance.”
He was less generous to Gale, who Rafiq says abused him for years, and Moxon, who oversaw the bullying and verbally attacked Rafiq on his first day back at work after losing his baby.
Gale, currently suspended for a historic anti-Semitic tweet, was mentioned more than 100 times in Rafiq’s 57-page witness statement which accompanied his verbal evidence and looks certain to be sacked this week.
Moxon is on sick leave with a stress-related illness and will in time follow Gale out of the door at Headingley.
Rafiq added: “They’ve not been in touch — but I don’t expect them to. I still don’t think any of them think they’ve done anything wrong.
“It just shows them for what they are. The arrogance, the complete disregard of anyone else but themselves and their views.
“Anyone who apologises, I will accept. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. But it does make you think that they’ve known this for a good 14 months and, if they were genuinely sorry, they would have done it then.
“I don’t think Martyn and Andrew can continue. I don’t think it’s possible for Yorkshire to move forward with them still there and knowing full well what sort of role they played.
“They need to hear from me the effect their behaviour had — and I’d like to hear from them why they did it.”
Rafiq conducted a series of broadcast interviews as cricket came to terms with the fallout of his devastating testimony.
Of others mentioned, Tim Bresnan issued a statement apologising for bullying Rafiq — but insisted his words were not racist.
And Bresnan’s current county, Warwickshire, are investigating.
Matthew Hoggard apologised personally by phone to Rafiq several months ago.
And ex-England coach David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd rang Rafiq on Wednesday to apologise about comments he made in a private message to a podcaster, which were passed on to Rafiq.
Sky are probing Lloyd’s conduct — but he is expected to keep his national newspaper column.
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan, who denies referring to Rafiq and three other players of Asian heritage as “you lot” in 2009, is planning his work at The Ashes this winter with Fox Sports in Australia (BT Sport take their coverage) and Test Match Special on BBC radio.
England did not respond to Rafiq’s claim that the use of the word ‘Kevin’ to describe anybody non-white was an “open secret” in the England dressing-room.
Rafiq added: “Hoggy reached out when there wasn’t a threat of it being in the public domain. I admire and thank him for that and accept his apology. I have made it very clear that what David said was unacceptable.
“For someone who doesn’t even know me to say those things — he told me he’d been briefed by someone close to the club. So I accepted his apology.
“People who genuinely apologise deserve a second chance.
“But there has to be a level of accountability. So, for people in denial, it is for their employers to send out a message as to whether they will give a green light to racism, or try to stamp it out.”
Rafiq was overwhelmed with messages of support following his compelling performance in front of MPs.
He insists his motive is to bring about change and help others come forward.
Certainly, other victims are being empowered to speak and the new Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket has already received more than 1,000 calls.
Rafiq said: “It’s really important the game and wider society listens to my experiences and we don’t let this moment go. It must be a watershed.
“It has woken up a lot of people.
“People of colour have looked back and reflected that they have also gone through some similar experiences.
“White people are also reflecting how they can be better.”
