Yorkshire County Cricket Club batsman Gary Ballance has apologised to Azeem Rafiq for racist language he used towards his former colleague.
Ballance made the apology throughout a gathering with Rafiq in London this week, and in a press release mentioned he “apologised unreservedly to Azeem for the words I used when we played together”.
“I did use unacceptable – at times, racist – language. If I had realised how much this hurt Azeem, I would have stopped immediately,” he mentioned.
The former England cricketer, who has made 23 worldwide Test appearances, mentioned he needed to fulfill with Rafiq for “quite some time, but I had to make sure I was in a good place when I did so”.
“Azeem has been through similar mental health challenges and understands why this has taken me a little time,” he added.
“I wanted to meet him this week and be clear in person that I intended no malice. That’s not an excuse, I realise that the language I used was wrong.
“I’ve accepted, from the outset, the phrases I used have been flawed and I hope this assertion brings Azeem some consolation.
Rafiq, 30, spoke out final yr about racism within the sport and detailed his struggling at Yorkshire CCC in entrance of a committee of MPs.
Ballance ‘now a part of the answer’
Responding to Ballance’s apology following their assembly, Rafiq mentioned: “Gary got things wrong, so did many people. The main issue is cricket’s institutional racism.
“Gary’s braveness means he’s now a part of the answer. I hope he will be allowed to get on along with his cricket.”
He added that Ballance has been “courageous to confess the belief”, adding that he has “performed cricket and the struggle towards racism an excellent service with these phrases”.
Julian Metherell, non-executive chair at the Professional Cricketers’ Association, hosted the meeting between the pair.
Rafiq played for YCCC in two spells between 2008 and 2018, accusing the club of “institutional racism” in 2020.
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The allegations led to several sponsors severing ties with the club, members of the board stepping aside and the England and Wales Cricket Board suspending the club, who play at Headingley, from hosting international fixtures.
Several members of the club were accused of racism by the bowler, including Ballance, who at the time of the revelations admitted to using a racial slur but did not apologise.
Lord Kamlesh Patel was installed as the YCCC’s new director and chair in November 2021 and in February this year, the ban on hosting matches was lifted after the club showed a “willingness to vary” underneath Lord Patel.
Source: information.sky.com”