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Yorkshire clear staff on racism claim

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Headingley, home of Yorkshire, who will not be disciplining any staff over racism allegations.
Camera IconHeadingley, home of Yorkshire, who will not be disciplining any staff over racism allegations. Credit: AP

Yorkshire County Cricket Club will take no disciplinary action against any of its employees, players or executives following an independent report into allegations of racism by former player Azeem Rafiq, the county has announced.

Yorkshire released a summarised version of the report on September 10, apologising and accepting Rafiq had been a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" in his two spells at the club between 2008 and 2018.

But on Thursday the county issued a statement in which they said their own internal investigation had concluded "that there is no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrants disciplinary action".

Rafiq, who said last year he was made to feel like an "outsider" during his time at Yorkshire and was close to taking his own life, accused Yorkshire of protecting their members of staff. He wrote on Twitter: "Wow just when you think this club couldn't get more embarrassing you find a way.

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"Still awaiting the FULL report.

"Thanks for mentioning the people that have provided your PROTECTION & given green light to RACISM."

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will now examine the report, which they had not previously received in full.

An ECB statement read: "This is a matter with many serious allegations at its heart and the ECB's regulatory team will now consider the Report as part of its investigation."

Rafiq said it was "inconceivable" that no Yorkshire employees had been disciplined and called for the county's board to resign.

A spokesperson for 30-year-old Rafiq said: "It is inconceivable that there are no current employees who should not have been disciplined for their conduct. Yorkshire's failures continue to mount up and it is time that board members - for once - do the decent thing and resign."

More than 40 allegations were made by Rafiq, with seven of them upheld in the report.

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