The racism scandal in English cricket has taken a serious turn forcing Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton to resign. Hutton’s resignation came after an independent report named former England captain Azeem Rafiq as someone who had targeted Azeem Rafiq with racism. The England and Wales Cricket Board had earlier banned Yorkshire Cricket Club from hosting international matches.
While announcing his resignation, Hutton ‘apologised unreservedl’ to 30-year-old Rafiq, adding that the club ‘should have recognised at the time the serious allegations of racism.’
Hutton, according to the BBC, said that at Yorkshire he had ‘experienced a culture that refuses to accept change or challenge.’
Hutton said, “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly to Azeem.
“I am sorry that we could not persuade executive members of the board to recognise the gravity of the situation and show care and contrition.
“There has been a constant unwillingness from the executive members of the board and senior management at the club to apologise and to accept [there was] racism and to look forward.
“During my time as chairman, I take responsibility for failing to persuade them to take appropriate and timely action.
“This frustration has been shared by all of the non-executive members of the board, some of whom have also now resigned.”
Earlier, former England captain had denied allegations that he behaved as racist towards Azeem Rafiq at the Yorkshire cricket club. Vaughan had also revealed in a newspaper column that his name indeed featured in the independent report into Rafiq’s account of racial discrimination, harassment and bullying during his tenure at Yorkshire. The sensational revelation by Vaughan came amidst the ECB banning Yorkshire from hosting any international matches at the Headingly Cricket Ground.
Vaughan, who is currently employed by the BBC as a cricket pundit, revealed how the report accused of saying to Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naveed before a 2009 game against Nottinghamshire, “[There are] too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”