Former England cricketer Gary Ballance has admitted using a racial slur towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.
Ballance, who played 23 Tests and 16 one-day internationals between 2013-2017, released a statement on Wednesday in which he accepted he was responsible for some of the offensive and derogatory terms that Rafiq revealed he was subjected to during his time at Headingley.
The 31-year-old referenced his “incredibly close relationship” with Rafiq during their time together at the club, saying both men “said things privately to each other which were not acceptable” but made it clear he had remorse for his part of those exchanges.
“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,” Ballance wrote.
“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.”
Wide-ranging claims of institutional racism
Ballance’s name was redacted in a summary of the independent report into Rafiq’s wide-ranging claims of institutional racism, but it has been reported by ESPNCricinfo that the panel upheld claims he had been repeatedly called a “P***”.
The panel determined that those words were delivered “in the spirit of friendly banter” – a conclusion which has caused a wave of condemnation from prominent politicians and campaign groups and kicked off an exodus of Yorkshire’s commercial sponsors.
A host of partners followed the lead of shirt sponsor Anchor Butter by severing ties with the club over their handling of the matter, including Emerald Group Publishing foregoing naming rights of Headingley Stadium among other tie-ins with the team and Yorkshire Tea dissolving its association with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, a prominent group of the county’s politicians – including former Labour leader Ed Miliband and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves – wrote to the England and Wales Cricket Board demanding action.
The region’s two metro mayors, Dan Jarvis (South Yorkshire) and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire), co-signed a sternly-worded letter to ECB chief executive Tom Harrison and were joined as signatories by 34 cross-party MPs.
As well as Miliband and Reeves, prominent backbenchers Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper added their names, as well as assistant government whip Andrea Jenkyns.
The letter read: “We find any suggestion that using the word “P***” is “banter” truly abhorrent, but for the formal investigation to make such a conclusion brings the report and the club into disrepute.
“We, therefore, request that the ECB establish an immediate, comprehensive and independent inquiry into YCCC’s handling of the original allegations and the subsequent investigation.
“We maintain the inquiry must be conducted in a timely and transparent manner, with consequences for both the players responsible and those board members who have failed to address this blatant racism.”
Rafiq is set to appear in front of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s select committee in an evidence session that is understood to be taking place on November 16, and could offer up his fullest and most damning account yet given the presence of parliamentary privilege.
Just over an hour after Ballance’s statement was released, Rafiq posted on Twitter: “Funny how things change from complete denial to I accepted everything over a 14 month period?”.
