Video: Azeem Rafiq terms England’s PCA as ‘protectors of the perpetrators’ in Yorkshire racism row

Azeem Rafiq who has been waging the war against racism at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, one of the most famous cricket clubs in England and throughout the world, has now termed the role of England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA)’s role as that of protecting the perpetrators. 

In his statement at the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing, which has been set up to enquire about the institutional racism at Yorkshire, Rafiq said, “I found the PCA stance incredibly inept. It was oh, we've got members on both sides.”

"So, you're protecting the perpetrators and you have no interest in where this is taking me?” Rafiq added regarding PCA’s stance in his case. The former Yorkshire captain went as far as saying that PCA even reported him missing to the police just in case he comments suicide because he had told them that after all that happened at the club, he was feeling suicidal. 

“There have been dark moments over the winter. At one point, the PCA called the police and reported me missing. I was sat with my family. I felt that was done to tick a box in case I killed myself,” said Rafiq. 

“On a human point, if someone else had have told me they were suicidal and ringing to ask for help, I would forget the constitution and help the human,” said the 31-year-old who had rung into PCA several times and to ECB a few times as well to speak about his situation. 

Talking about the handling of the issue and why he is labelling PCA as a protector of the perpetrator, Rafiq said, "The PCA kept telling me when the report comes out, they would support me. Once it did, they said we have no powers, we can just push the ECB”

"Again, an organisation that really should have been there for me and supported me left me on my own to fight on my own,” he added.