Former England star Monty Panesar has slammed Yorkshire County Cricket Club for claiming the use of the word ‘P***’ by one of its players was ‘banter’.
The retired spinner, 39, blasted the side for defending Gary Ballance over his comments towards Azeem Rafiq between 2008 and 2018.
Panesar, who represented Essex and Sussex, claimed chiefs have ‘completely mishandled’ the racism row that has engulfed the sport.
His comments echo Nasser Hussain who said he fears the case will send a message to Yorkshire academy stars that racial discrimination is acceptable.
Hussain urged anyone in the dressing room during Rafiq’s two spells at the club to ‘speak up’ for the ex-spinner.
The fresh fury comes after Ballance released a statement on Wednesday where he took responsibility for some of the claims against him.
But he hit back at his old ‘best friend’ and insisted both men ‘said things privately to each other which were not acceptable’.
The retired spinner, 39, blasted the side for defending Gary Ballance over his comments towards Azeem Rafiq (pictured together in 2012) between between 2008 and 2018
His comments echo Nasser Hussain (pictured) who said he fears the case will send a message to Yorkshire academy stars that racial discrimination is acceptable
How the Yorkshire Cricket Club scandal unfolded and what will happen next
2008-2018: Azeem Rafiq spends 10 years at Yorkshire CCC, becoming their youngest-ever captain and first of Asian origin in 2012.
September 2020: Yorkshire launch investigation as Rafiq reveals that ‘deep-rooted’ racism at the club left him ‘close to committing suicide’. ‘I would regularly come home from training and cry all day,’ he said. Accusations included people saying there was ‘too many of you lot’ referring to Rafiq and Asian team-mates.
December 2020: Rafiq files legal claim against the county, claiming he suffered ‘direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race, as well as victimisation and detriment as a result of his efforts to address racism at the club’.
June 2021: Report is delayed and Rafiq’s lawyer says the pushbacks ‘create a lack of faith in the entire process’. Employment tribunal is held but parties fail to resolve the dispute.
August 2021: Yorkshire issue ‘profound apologies’ to Rafiq as report finds he was ‘the victim of inappropriate behaviour’. But they do not accept the claim of institutional racism – Rafiq accuses the county of ‘fudging’ his claims and promised he was ‘not going away’.
September 2021: ECB are ‘very concerned’ with the summary of the panel’s findings, with Yorkshire admitting Rafiq was the victim of ‘racial harassment and bullying’.
But just seven of the 43 allegations made are upheld, with Yorkshire saying they do not intend to publish a full report.
October 2021: Yorkshire say they will not take disciplinary action against any of its employees following the report. Rafiq writes on Twitter that the club is ’embarrassing’, saying it gives a ‘green light’ to racism.
This week: Details of the report are published by ESPNcricinfo, including a senior player’s admission that he repeatedly used the word ‘P***’ in reference to Rafiq, which was deemed ‘banter’. Health secretary Sajid Javid said ‘heads should roll’, with the Prime Minister asking the ECB to investigate.
Yesterday: MailOnline reveals the player was Rafiq’s former Yorkshire team-mate, England batsman Gary Ballance. Sponsors Anchor Butter, Yorkshire Tea and Emerald all cut ties with the club.
What’s next?: RAFIQ, Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton and director of cricket Martyn Moxon will give evidence to the DCMS committee on November 16. ‘Time for the full truth,’ said Rafiq on Tuesday.
Yorkshire are facing commercial pressure with sponsors ending association, while legal claims are still not resolved.
Mr Panesar told Good Morning Britain: ‘I think they’ve completely mishandled this case.
‘They haven’t taken serious concern for Azeem Rafiq and his welfare. They’ve kind of termed it as banter which sits uncomfortably with me.’
He continued: ‘The P word is a racist term and should not be defined under the banter bracket.
‘Yorkshire felt that Azeem’s allegations weren’t important to them. They kind of avoided the issues and also delayed the report.
‘This statement from Gary Ballance should’ve been released in August when the ECB wanted that report.’
Earlier former England captain turned commentator Hussain also laid into the handling of the case.
He told Sky: ‘They messed it up first time when it actually happened because no one had the guts to stand up and say: ‘No, we are not doing that in this dressing room.’
‘They next messed it up for years after that by not picking out people who used that terminology and they are still messing it up now when they had the option to say: ‘We have changed, we will not accept this sort of behaviour’. So they continue to mess it up.
‘Almost by Yorkshire saying it is just banter, they are sending a message through all their age groups that it is okay to say ‘you lot’ and ‘that corner shop must belong to your uncle’ and things like that.
‘They are sending a message that this sort of mickey taking is absolutely fine and it’s not.’
Hussain, who is covering the T20 World Cup in the Middle East, added: ‘It’s not going to be a great week or month for cricket.
‘But it’s a month that cricket needs to go through so we can finally find out what that situation was and also people involved at that time.
‘It is very difficult because you want to back up your team-mate and have context but I do think it is important on both sides that people do speak up for Azeem Rafiq.
‘If you firmly believe that Azeem Rafiq was racially discriminated against and you were in that dressing room, I feel please speak up about it to back him up because he has been through so much and waited so patiently for people to back him up.
‘Also the flipside to that, if you do believe Gary Balance will be in a very dark place at the moment and if you do believe you have something to say to back up his argument and give it some context then please say that as well. I do think people need to speak and get some kind of truth out of this.’
Rafiq’s claims against Yorkshire have been in the public domain for well over a year.
But the issue has begun to gather major momentum after revelations by ESPNCricinfo over the contents of an independent report into the matter.
The report found had been the victim of ‘racial harassment and bullying’ during his time at the club.
But it has since emerged the panel found repeated use of the word ‘P***’ against the spinner was delivered ‘in the spirit of friendly banter’.
The Yorkshire cricketer accused of calling Azeem Rafiq a ‘p*ki’ is believed to be former England star Gary Ballance, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today
The batsman (pictured with wife Alex) issued a long and emotional statement yesterday evening
Yorkshire recently concluded that no employees would face any action as a result of the report.
But on Wednesday batter Ballance confessed to using ‘a racial slur’ against his ex-team-mate in a long and emotional statement.
He wrote: ‘It has been reported that I used a racial slur and, as I told the independent enquiry, I accept that I did so and I regret doing so.’
He continued: ‘To be clear – I deeply regret some of the language I used in my younger years.
‘I do not wish to discredit Rafa by repeating the words and statements that he made about me and others but 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.
‘I regret that these exchanges took place but at no time did I believe or understand that it had caused Rafa distress. If I had believed that then I would have stopped immediately.
‘He was my best mate in cricket and I cared deeply for him. To my knowledge, it has never been alleged that I reduced Rafa to tears.’
Rafiq hit back this morning, claiming it was well known he would cry every time he was called a ‘P***’.
He tweeted: ‘Everyone. Lot of people that watched me cry basically every time I socialised but aye they weren’t contacted.
‘Lot to unravel and seriously wanted to avoid going in to personal things but as I said all along if ”racism” is tried to be downplayed by personal stuff I will respond.’
Gary Ballance statement on Rafiq affair in full:
‘My family and I are deeply saddened and upset by the allegations recently levelled at me in the press and by the misleading and selective nature of the reporting in the last few days. Azeem was not just a teammate of mine but he was my closest friend and supporter in cricket.
‘Throughout this process I have cooperated with the independent investigation and I have been completely honest and transparent with the club and the investigators at all times. Information and allegations have been leaked and reported in the press which in my view give a misleading impression of the evidence which was heard in the investigation. I had not intended to make any public statement but, given the reports which have been published, and with journalists arriving at my house, I feel I have no choice but to provide a public response.
‘To be clear – I deeply regret some of the language I used in my younger years. The independent enquiry, having heard all of the evidence, accepted that the context of some of the language used was in a ‘friendly verbal attack’ between friends which was not intended to offend or hurt and that no malice was intended.
‘Given my incredibly close relationship with Rafa over the years I am saddened that it has come to this. Rafa and I started playing for Yorkshire at a similar time and we quickly developed a very close bond. He encouraged me to play club cricket for his club Barnsley CC, which I did, we went on many tours together, with both Yorkshire and the England Performance Programme, and we always supported each other on and off the pitch. We socialised a lot together away from the game and would also drink and enjoy ourselves together.
‘On the pitch we supported each other greatly. We both captained Yorkshire at various times and we backed each other when we filled these roles. Rafa has always been a huge supporter of mine and was always there for me in the highs and lows of my career with Yorkshire and England. When he was first released by Yorkshire I was there for him during that tough time and I was delighted when he earned a new contract and a second spell with the club. He was very pleased for me when I was selected for England and I was delighted to receive his supportive messages during my time with England. He was also always a big support to me at some difficult times in my career, and I have always been very grateful to him for that.
‘Because we were such good friends and spent a lot of time together drinking and on nights out we both said things privately to each other which were not acceptable. It has been reported that I used a racial slur and, as I told the independent enquiry, I accept that I did so and I regret doing so. I do not wish to discredit Rafa by repeating the words and statements that he made about me and others but 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.
‘I regret that these exchanges took place but at no time did I believe or understand that it had caused Rafa distress. If I had believed that then I would have stopped immediately. He was my best mate in cricket and I cared deeply for him. To my knowledge, it has never been alleged that I reduced Rafa to tears.
‘That does not mean that what passed between us was right or appropriate. It was not. Rafa said things to me that were not acceptable and I did the same with Rafa. I never said anything with any intended malice or to upset Rafa.
‘Rafa and I remained closest friends throughout the time we exchanged these inappropriate comments. One winter, I suggested that Rafa and his bowling coach travel to Zimbabwe to stay with my family, which they did. He lived in my family’s house in Zimbabwe and spent time with my parents and my brothers while he trained in Zimbabwe. He would later become very good friends with my brother and the two of them stayed together regularly when my brother was in the UK. Rafa was always very grateful for the support and love which my family gave him and he regularly expressed this to me. I was honoured to be invited to his wedding in Pakistan which I sadly could not attend.
‘I am aware of how hurtful the racial slur is and I regret that I used this word in immature exchanges in my younger years and I am sure Rafa feels the same about some of the things he said to me as well.
‘My intention, during this whole process, has been to be honest and cooperate with the independent investigation. In light of recent media reports it is only right, on behalf of me and my family, that I put my position in the public domain.
‘I will not be making any further statement on this matter.’
