Thread by @NakulMPande

Fair warning: I’ll be spending today livetweeting the #DCMS hearings into Yorkshire’s treatment of players of colour, notably Azeem Rafiq.

Rafiq’s evidence starts at 9:30am, ex-Yorkshire chair Roger Hutton at 10:15am, and an ECB delegation at 11:15am.

#JusticeForAzeem

I’m watching on BBC Parliament, but it’s also available here:

parliamentlive.tv/event/index/17…

The committee is chaired by Julian Knight, Tory MP for Solihull. There are 6 Tories inc. Knight, 4 Labour MPs and John Nicholson (Ochil & South Perthshire) of the SNP.

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Knight, who is chair of the Lords and Commons Cricket Club, begins by calling any potential witnesses who have not been invited or have not come forward to do so.

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Azeem begins: “I joined a dressing room full of my heroes…soon there were comments such as ‘you lot sit over there near the toilets’, ‘elephant washers’ and the word ‘P*ki’ was used a lot.

“Playing cricket was the most important thing…I was in denial.”

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“Towards the end of my first spell, I started taking medication for my mental health…through my performances I got a chance to come back.”

Initially with Lees as captain & Gillespie as coach, things seemed to have changed.

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When Gale (coach) and Ballance (captain) took over, “the temperature changed.”

Rafiq details repeated use of the word P*ki in front of teammates and senior club officials. He is choked with emotion discussing the tragic loss of his unborn child.

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Knight asks Rafiq to address Gary Ballance’s statement where he described the use of P*ki as ‘banter’.

Initially Rafiq & Ballance were friends, bonded by being outsiders, but “Ballance’s conduct” led Rafiq to cool on him but remain amicable.

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Rafiq says that the Yorkshire dressing room became toxic due to senior players (Steve Patterson, Tim Bresnan), and was one of many to complain about them - but believes he was singled out by Yorkshire and ID’d as a ‘troublemaker’.

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Martyn Moxon (Director of Cricket) ‘ripped [Rafiq] to shreds’ the day after the loss of his son.

Rafiq went to the PCA and National Asian Cricket Council, but Hanif Malik of the NACC immediately told CEO Mark Arthur that Rafiq had made a complaint.

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Knight calls the report and the equivalence of ‘Zimbo’ and ‘P*ki’ as ‘a Venn diagram of stupidity’.

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Rafiq: “Squire Patton Boggs having a connection with Roger (Hutton, ex-Yorks chair) left a bad taste from the outset.”

SPB and the investigatory panel were initially ‘lovely’ but once they heard the severity Rafiq’s evidence, the attitude changed.

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Rafiq: “[I drank heavily] to fit in, I am not proud of it…but that does not excuse racism. P*ki is not banter, there is no yeah but about racism.”

Age 15 at his cricket club, was pinned down and had red wine poured down his throat.

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Rafiq outlines Gale’s uncaring attitude towards the loss of his son after Rafiq first raised allegations of bullying.

“Steve” name for Pujara rather than using his name started in the dressing room & was taken on at all levels inc. local & global media.

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‘Kevin’ as a name for any player of colour began with Gary Ballance and spread to the England dressing room, including Alex Hales naming his black dog Kevin.

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Rafiq: “I’ve just carried my son from the hospital to the graveyard, and the way I am being treated is not right and I’m going to be the one that speaks up.”

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In reference to allegations at Essex & elsewhere, Rafiq broadens the scope of his testimony to wider (lack of representation): 30% of recreational players are South Asian, under 4% of professional players.

Describes South Asian Action Plan as ‘boxticking”

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Rafiq contends that the dressing room and recreational experiences of the type he has outlined are not addressed by the Plan.

“My life has been made hell: denials, cover-ups, smearings [including by very prominent media personalities like David Lloyd].”

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Knight hands over to Simon Jupp (Con, East Devon), who asks whether Rafiq’s mental health was why there was a delay before him making his allegations.

Rafiq: “I left the country and didn’t want to come back…I don’t know [how I summoned the strength].”

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Rafiq tears up when discussing the pain he and his wife have gone through over the past 18 months, and at the invitation of the committee takes a 5 minute break.

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We're back from the break.

Jupp asks how Rafiq about the social media response: "All I wanted was an acceptance, a response, an apology...supported by certain members of the press, but in the winter I felt like it 'wasn't news' and soc-med was my voice."

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"A professional cricketer contacted me to say I'd done what others had wanted to do but didn't have the [courage] to...if Yorkshire had seen this as an opportunity to lead, things would be very different, but they haven't."

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Damian Green (Con, Ashford) asks why Rafiq went back to Yorks:

"In my first spell, there were instances that I didn't see for what they were. Derbyshire didn't have the money to offer me a contract, and I didn't have another option [financially]."

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"For a PoC to accept you're being treated differently because of your race or religion is difficult. You want answers...up until 2017, I was in denial."

Denial became impossible after he raised his bullying allegation and lost his son.

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Rafiq: "I didn't want to believe that I was being treated differently"

Moves on to cricket beyond Yorks: "The ECB has to take a bit of responsibility. They're the regulators, it's their funding...they were one of the first teams to stop taking the knee."

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Rafiq calls on the ECB to stop 'palming off' inclusion on to advisory bodies such as the National Asian Cricket Council.

"My experience (of racism at grass-roots) is not limited to me. Do the ECB, PCA, counties want to address the problem?"

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Green acknowledges that Rafiq wants to talk about institutions not individuals, but brings up Joe Root's statement.

Rafiq: "It shows how normal [racism] was that even a good man like Joe doesn't remember it and wasn't affected by it."

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Chair hands over to Kevin Brennan (Labour, Cardiff West), who asks what Rafiq meant by 'White Rose' values.

Rafiq, referring to the open letter signed by many members of Yorks staff: "If 'White Rose' values involve racism, then yeah, I don't share them."

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Rafiq: "I didn't see that Gary [Ballance] did apologise in his statement. The panel and lawyers and club wanted to make it about individuals not institutions...I tried for him not to get named. I hope the report can be published."

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On Vaughan's refutation of his 'there are too many of you' comments:

"He might not remember it, it didn't affect him. But me, Rashid, Rana, we all remember it. He used his platform at the Daily Telegraph to put out a snippet of my statement."

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Brennan points out the terms of reference of the report were changed halfway through to prevent a finding on whether Yorks was institutionally racist.

Rafiq: "The problem's that big that they didn't care. I've seen emails, I've seen board minutes."

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One of the reasons Rafiq was given for the delay in the report's release was that Squire Patton Boggs had struggled to spell the name 'Will Quinn'.

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Rafiq: "For the panel to be entertained by Yorks at the Headingley Test match shows how untouchable they thought they were - they thought little old Azeem Rafiq, nobody'll believe him."

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Rafiq raws on his sister Amna's experiences at Leicestershire and the backlash to Wasim Khan's tenure there to reiterate that this is a national problem.

"People don't want to listen. Good people who are not racist turn the other way."

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Knight: "Yorkshire's want us to publish the report for them so they don't get sued, but this is their mess."

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Clive Efford (Labour, Eltham) asks a long-winded and confusing question about the South Asian leagues in Yorkshire and whether that makes Yorkshire's issues unique.

Rafiq: "I don't think they help, but people got sick and tired [of being excluded]."

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Rafiq mentions the chair of Barnsley CC likening a Black overseas player to a sunglasses seller in Tenerife.

Moves on to ECB: "[Post chat with Tom Harrison] I kept begging them...please step in, please step in, this will be a car crash."

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Rafiq: "There've been some really dark moments...at one point the PCA called the police and reported me missing. I was sitting with my family and got a phone call saying I was missing...it felt like box-ticking in case I killed myself."

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Rafiq: "[PCA] were protecting the perpetrators...they said they'd support me when the report came out, but when it did come out they said they had no powers and would push the ECB."

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On why people didn't come forward to the panel: "Fear. Lack of trust. The panel didn't ask Rana Naved ul Hasan or Tino Best who supported me publicly. Yorks supporters were told they had to go through HR [Liz Neto - see here: joe.co.uk/news/yorkshire…]

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Rafiq: "People will come forward now, but over the last 18 months, why would you [go through that]? Other people are still fearful of coming forward, but for Yorks to say they were unaware is an excuse, and we need to get beyond using excuses."

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Julie Elliott (Lab, Sunderland Central) stresses that the panel believe Rafiq.

Rafiq: "The day after my Sky interview I got a phone call from Matthew Hoggard who apologised & said he didn't realise. I was appreciative, that's all I wanted, an acceptance."

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Rafiq agrees with Elliott's summation that institutions have only acted when they've started to lose sponsors.

Rafiq: "What Lord Patel has done [whistleblowing hotline at Yorks] is the first step. Before we move forward, people need to be listened to."

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Rafiq: "My everyday life has been cricket. [Racism] in professional sport is worse than in the rest of society. Cricket is part of society, it's such a cop-out to say 'it's a societal problem' - we are all responsible for the society in which we live."

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Elliott draws unflattering parallels between PCA's conduct and trade union best practice.

Rafiq: "My PCA Personal Development Manager Matthew Wood was working for Yorkshire and it was all cosy, which I only found out through a data request."

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Rafiq: "I had a call with a lawyer for 3 minutes, he said I didn't have a case. I found out that the reason for that is that if they'd investigated, it'd have taken their whole budget - I wish they'd been honest with me about that."

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Steve Brine (Con, Winchester) asks Rafiq if players from other counties have come forward with similar experiences.

Rafiq: "I've had messages from players at Leicestershire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire...some players are still scared."

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Rafiq: "The recurring theme is the use of the word 'P*ki'."

References former Essex players Zohen Sharif and Maurice Chambers' public interviews about their experiences at that club.

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Rafiq: "I want to be a voice for the voiceless. I want institutions to change their cultures, so players can achieve their dreams. I wasn't able to do that [because] my experiences weighed me down. [PCA and South Asian community's conduct] hurt me most."

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Brine asks what England have missed out on by not being properly inclusive.

Rafiq: "A hell of a lot of talent. A greater representation of the country. Representation of Black cricketers is really worrying from where it was."

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Brine asks if young people from other sports have got in touch.

Rafiq: "Not young people or people in other sports, but people in other industries. I got a message from someone who works in a big utility company, the experiences were the same."

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Brine clumsily refers to Rafiq as an 'emotional person', but asks what he would say to a young person in e.g. Barnsley.

Rafiq: "I wouldn't want my son going anywhere cricket. It's on the ECB to do make sure they can say 'This won't happen to your kid."

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There follows a cringeworthy exchange on how much England will win the Ashes by.

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Alex Davies-Jones (Lab, Pontypridd) asks about Cindy Butts, chair of the ECB's Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket.

Rafiq: "Cindy is very credible...but we're sick of commissions and inquiries. All we ask is to be treated fairly."

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On what action the ECB should take: "Whistleblower hotlines [which some counties have set up] and real accountability. [People must know] if you do this, there will be real repercussions. I will call out...tokenism."

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Rafiq: "The problem is in [professional] dressing rooms. It's not about PR initiatives to get more kids playing, we haven't got a problem there."

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Davies-Jones asks whether Rafiq recalls a culture of homophobic or misogyny:

"I don't recall it [with the same clarity], but it would be wrong of me to say that I didn't. The counties and clubs can't survive without the ECB [it's their responsibility]."

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The vaguely cartoonish Giles Watling (Con, Clacton) asks about Rafiq's reaction to no initial disciplinary action.

Rafiq: "They didn't believe they've done anything wrong. I want to thank politicians and sports media for not letting this die down."

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Rafiq: "I have tried endless times for this to not end up in a car-crash [for Yorks]. [Lord] Kamlesh [Patel, new chair] reached out to me immediately, we had a good chat for 5-6 hours & I challenged him on things I didn't like but respected."

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Rafiq: "I'm not going to come back and help them get their sponsorships back. I'd want to sit from the outside and make sure they know someone's watching. I want to help, but I won't be [fobbed off] with job offers."

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Rafiq: "If in 5-6 years time I've got no job offers but there are more kids playing cricket & the game is a nicer place, I'll be very happy. All we want is the game I grew up watching to be nice for anyone regardless of their gender, sex, race, religion."

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John Nicholson (SNP, Ochil & South Perthshire) asks about the red wine incident, and rightly says it wasn't on Rafiq to be 'strong' but on the adults in the room - in fact, in the car, as that's where it took place.

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Rafiq praises Rana Naved and Tino Best for standing for him recently, but says that nobody stood up for him at the time. Nicholson calls this 'extraordinary', but Rafiq says that 'nobody felt strong enough' in an institutionally racist environment.

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Rafiq references Tom Brown's PhD research into the massive advantage private school attendance has if you want to be a professional cricketer, and that white players attending private schools have even more of an advantage.

bcu.ac.uk/health-science…

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Nicholson asks directly whether he lost his career due to racism.

Rafiq: "Yes I do. It's a horrible feeling."

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Nicholson points out the very male-skewed public gallery and committee.

Rafiq: "The game doesn't invite women."

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Nicholson asks how Rafiq's family has coped with all they've had to endure.

Rafiq, emotionally: "I've got 2 young kids. They haven't had a dad really, I've been dealing with lawyers, press, YCCC. I hope today can be some sort of closure."

Panel adjourns.

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Now it's recently resigned Yorkshire chair Roger Hutton. Committee chair Julian Knight notes the non-appearance of ex-CEO Mark Arthur and current DoC Martyn Moxon, who had 'much more impact' on the time Rafiq was at the club.

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On Arthur and Moxon's non-appearance: "I'm deeply disappointed that they are not here. I would have thought it would have been right today for the club to have representatives from the time he was there and who are currently at the club."

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Refuses Knight's open invitation to call them cowards, but does say that they have "failed to accept the gravity' of the situation.

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Hutton: "Mark Arthur asked me if we could abandon the investigation."

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Hutton on the employment tribunal: "Myself and the non-executive directors [recognised] the club at a minimum had things it had got wrong...[Arthur] said he would not co-operate and Rafiq would not be welcome [as part of any process of change.]"

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Hutton: "There was a refusal to accept that Azeem was the victim and to accept the recommendations of the panel."

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Knight reveals that Hutton wanted to come forward while he was still chair, but 'circumstances did not allow' that. References the fact that new Essex CEO John Stephenson threatened to resign if the recent allegations against Essex weren't dealt with.

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Hutton: "[Didn't resign because] I wanted to affect change from within until I realised that was not possible."

Says that he saw resigning as capitulating to those who wanted to obstruct the investigation.

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On looming spectre of Colin Graves: "I cannot remove a director without the approval of the Graves Trust."

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After repeated pressing, Hutton reveals that he wanted to remove Arthur, Moxon and HR Liz Neto - not for their conduct as detailed in the report, but for not apologising and not 'recognising the gravity' of the situation.

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Hutton: "The club is [financially] indebted to the Graves Trust. I think it is wrong that a major creditor has such control."

Current chair Lord Patel is called forward from public gallery. A new player enters!

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Patel: "I wouldn't sit there and accept [that I couldn't remove senior figures] without concrete legal evidence as to why I couldn't."

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Patel reveals that trustees can be held financially liable even for potential losses of future generations, including reputational.

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Patel, who cannot legally talk in detail about the investigation: "If evidence came forward that individuals had behaved as detailed in the report, as chair I have a responsibility to act."

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On why he didn't sack players, Hutton himself brings up Ballance: "I had no executive power." Repeats this.

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Hutton: "We got legal advice that while Ballance had a clear educational and training need, there was no case for disciplinary action."

Did not follow up to seek or receive update on whether that 'education and training' happened.

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Damian Green sums it up: "You held board meetings, they ignored you...is there anyone in an executive role currently at Yorkshire capable of grasping the nettle?"

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Hutton: "[Due to COVID] I haven't met most of the executives, I wouldn't recognise some of them...the club still needs to do 2 or 3 things...the culture needs to change...I am hopeful and optimistic that [the things that need to happen] will happen."

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Graves to Patel: "Do you as chair feel you have the power to affect change?"

Patel: "I've begun every day to meet individuals. You see denial; phenomenally hard-working people; people who are terrified, caught in the headlights; you see sadness..."

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Patel: "This is an organisation that's been hammered left right and centre for the right reasons. There are people at the heart [of the club], but I will make the changes that need to be made."

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Green, with phenomenal naivete: "I find it [bizarre] that anyone could be a cricket lover and a racist."

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Green refers back to Rafiq's testimony on youth coaches being told "pick a few South Asian players but not too many" in the context of it being a terrible sporting strategy.

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Hutton: "There is an Equality Diversity and Inclusion commission and a manger...there were steps taken."

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Green asks Patel about the role of senior players including England players at Yorkshire.

Patel: "They need to be on that journey with us, they need to learn with us. They're [a young player's] heroes, you emulate them."

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Patel: "Be honest and truthful. There is an education and awareness process. I struggle with the idea of employing an 'Equality Manager' - if the chair and chief exec don't believe in it, they're on a hiding to nothing."

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Davies-Jones takes over.

Hutton: "I was not aware [of the institutional racism at Yorks] before taking over. My first priority was to improve the culture of the club more broadly rather than specifically on discrimination."

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Hutton: "I only had 2 or 3 Zoom meetings between taking over and Azeem's first press statement. When that statement was brought to my attention, I and other non-execs saw it as a great opportunity for change."

Noteworthy use of passive voice.

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Davies-Jones asks if senior players are treated differently in disciplinary hearings or if disciplining them is harder due to their standing.

Hutton says he does not think so.

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Hutton on his initial reaction to the report: "I was shocked and surprised. I recognise there were limitations to only publishing a summary...without people inc current staff agreeing to waivers, we could not under legal advice publish."

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Davies-Jones asks about Yorkshire's bereavement leave policy given Rafiq's loss.

Hutton: "I am aware there are bereavement and mental health policies". Does not know the details or what the feedback from MH support was, if any.

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Davies-Jones asks if Patel will approach any former or current players.

Patel highlights the independent 'hotline' run by Mohinderpal Sethi QC of Littleton Chambers who wrote the terms of reference.

It is now live:
[e-mail]

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Clive Efford (Lab, Eltham) asks if Hutton felt there were problems in YCCC being the one handling it.

Hutton grasps at offered straw: "One of the difficulties in Yorks commissioning the report is you can't compel anyone because it's a voluntary process."

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Efford asks Hutton if he is aware of the 2014 Fletcher Report into racism in Yorkshire. He is not. Patel is.

Patel notes his wife's experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa: "The day Mandela took over there could have been a bloodbath."

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Patel: "To sit down with someone who held a bullwhip over you the day before...could I have done it? I don't know."

Patel returns to the need for a 'practical and action-oriented' way forward, and that the public have said, 'We're not having this."

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Efford asks about Yorks' response to George Floyd's murder & the #BLM movement.

Hutton: "The players wore anti-discrimination logos, I can't quite remember what the wording was. We had an ongoing to plan to develop EDI...that was in essence our response."

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Kevin Brennan (Lab, Cardiff West) asks Hutton about terms of reference.

Hutton: "2 issues the investigation team & the panel were looking at - Azeem's allegations and whether Yorks were institutionally racist. At some point, the terms on the 2nd changed."

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Brennan notes date of that change - 16 April - and notes surprise that Hutton does not know. Had no knowledge of it.

Patel: "I would want an immediate board meeting to know why those terms of reference were changed."

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Brennan: "Mr Hutton, is YCCC institutionally racist?"

Hutton: "There has been substantial ignorance, a reluctance to see Azeem as the victim...but the report says the question is unanswered."

Is eventually pressed into saying yes.

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Brennan: "Lord Patel, how does it feel to be chair of an institutionally racist organisation?"

Patel: "I've been appointed because there's a charge of institutional racism...I have to be proud of the organisation I'm leading."

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Hutton: "The ECB should have handled the investigation because this was a whistleblowing investigation being carried out by the executive of the club. [Many questions] would not be being asked today if they had done that."

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Hutton: "In my view, the ECB did have the [power] to investigate and the investigation would have been more satisfactory had they done so."

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Steve Brine pursues a bizarre line of questioning about whether Yorkshire is 'unlucky' to get caught or 'lucky' that Rafiq did come forward.

Hutton does not know if other county chairs are on the brink of resignation. That section added nothing.

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Giles Watling (Con, Clacton) asks Patel if this could be a 'defining moment' in bringing 'racist, laddish, sexist' behaviour to book.

Patel: "This is a watershed moment." Draws parallels to deaths of Steven Lawrence & David 'Rocky' Bennett.

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Patel: "I have plans. I want to make [YCCC] the best club in the world in terms of culture and values."

The panel adjourns briefly before the ECB delegation give their evidence.

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Worth noting that Hutton didn't actually say in his own words that Yorkshire is institutionally racist - he said, after two or three rounds of questioning, that the club's actions 'fall into the definition."

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Here are the EBC delegation:

• CEO Tom Harrison
• Chief Diversity and Comms Officer Kate Miller
• Director of Legal and Integrity Meena Botros
• Non-Exec Director Alan Dickinson

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Harrison tries to have Mr Botros read a short statement - Knight refuses.

Harrison does eventually pass to Botros to answer whether Yorkshire wanted the ECB to put someone on the panel or to run their own investigation. Botros & Harrison say the former.

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Harrison concedes ECB chair Ian Watmore may have had conversations with Roger Hutton re:the ECB taking on the investigation.

Knight, frustrated, asks Harrison to hand over all correspondence re: whether ECB were asked to take over or join investigation.

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Knight asks why the ECB have investigated Essex and not Yorkshire.

Botros: "Essex had not launched their own investigation...we were told YCCC would launch their own independent investigation, published within 3 months with recommendations acted on."

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Botros confirms ECB had committed not to launch their own investigation till that period elapsed.

Knight: "Your role as a regulator now is surely to ensure no club acts as Yorkshire did [running their own process and burying the report]." Harrison agrees.

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Harrison says the ECB's policy had been to let clubs run their own investigations then intervene, but says this will now change.

Green asks whether there is a conflict of interest between the ECB's regulatory and promotional functions.

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Harrison: "We have processes in place to keep the regulatory and promotional interests separate."

Botros: "There is an independent regulatory committee, appointed by the ECB, chaired and staffed by people with relevant experience."

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Green makes topical reference to Owen Paterson. Polite chuckles.

Julie Elliott (Lab, Sunderland Central) repeatedly presses Harrison and Botros on whether the ECB appointing the independent commission is appropriate. She is not satisfied with the answer.

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Elliott to Botros: "Did you at any point think that [Squire Patton Boggs, Hutton's ex-firm] were not an appropriate company to be doing this?"

Botros: "It was not appropriate for the ECB to tell YCCC who to have on their panel."

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Botros and Harrison both admit SPB's appointment 'did not look good', but claim the ECB's independent role meant they could not intervene.

Someone audibly sighs.

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Botros on the differences in handling of Essex and Yorkshire: "Standard practice is if there is not an investigation [at the time we become aware], we will begin one, and if there is one, we will let that play out."

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Hands to Kate Miller, Chief Diversity & Comms Officer, to address ECB's specific funding to promote diversity. Miller says ECB are holding people to account and cites Cindy Butts' independent commission.

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Knight expresses frustration at ECB delegation handing off questions to each other: "Either answer the question or if you cannot do so, the chief executive [Harrison] should answer."

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On holding YCCC to account, Harrison cites stripping them of the right to hold major matches.

Elliott contends that is not a result of the ECB's processes, but of things coming to light in the media, though accepts ECB have taken action.

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Harrison lists a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives. Elliott: "How do you know these things are being adhered to?"

Harrison: "What we have struggled with is getting our first-class game to wake up."

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Non-exec director Alan Dickinson: "We have agreements with the counties whereby we can check what they are doing [in regards to] good governance."

Apologises to Azeem Rafiq and his family.

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Knight, who in typical select committee manner seems almost to be enjoying his role as chief griller, highlights disparity between 80% of Bradford Park Avenue nets attendees and only a handful of Yorkshire South Asian senior players.

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Clive Efford (Lab, Eltham) on Cindy Butts-led investigation: "Why don't [ECB] know what's going on?"

Dickinson highlights what Azeem Rafiq said about players being afraid to come forward.

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Efford: "When did [ECB] introduce the game wide anti-discrimination code?"

Miller: "At the start of this season. It allows us to take action and prosecute. Previously it was not explicit, you would be charged with bringing the game into disrepute."

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Efford: "[Fletcher Report] exposed discrimination against South Asian players in Yorkshire. What did the ECB do about it?"

Miller cites ECB's Inspiring Generations initiative and a growth in players of colour from 7% to 28% in the England boys' pathway.

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Efford: "The issue is players are not getting through to senior level. Why haven't we seen that change?"

Harrison: "We are drilling into some of the issues raised in the report. We need to look into the dressing room culture in the professional game."

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Harrison: "It takes time for those changes to filter through the pathway and this is where we need help."

Does not specify what help.

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Efford: "Has the ECB been made aware of the racist use of the term Kevin, or any others, in England teams and not acted?"

Harrison: "The first time I heard that term was in the report."

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Knight: "What will the ECB do if England players are found to have been racist?"

Harrison: "We will act." Cites that they suspended Ollie Robinson as he was a current England player, comparing to earlier relevations re: Alex Hales (not a current player).

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Steve Brine (Con, Winchester): "How can you sanction a process where YCCC are allowed to withhold the report?"

Dickinson: "We expected the report to be produced after 3 months and to have sight of it."

Harrison: "We trusted YCCC and they left us down."

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Brine asks Harrison if he agrees with Hutton's [eventual] admission that YCCC is institutionally racist.

Harrison does not agree in so many words, but sticks to his line that the handling of the report indicates institutional racism.

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Botros: "We will not abandon our Essex investigation. We will continue our investigation as a regulatory body and they will continue theirs as an employer. If they mishandle matters, that will be handled by a separate disciplinary commission."

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Tedious & cringeworthy cricket terminology chat ensues as Alex Davies-Jones (Lab, Pontypridd) takes over as last MP to question ECB.

Harrison: "There are times frankly when the ECB needs to lead and take control, and now it is fundamental [that we do so."

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Harrison describes Inspiring Generation as a 'visionary' document, and defends it as being in year two of five.

Here is that document to read at your leisure:
ecb.co.uk/news/1365931

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Davies-Jones: "Are the ECB resourced enough to handle the explosion of complaints [from the multiple confidential 'hotline' email accounts]?"

Harrison is confident that they are. Dickinson uses the words 'whatever it takes'.

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Harrison closes by apologising to cricket lovers, acknowledging they have been let down, and says that investigating properly and changing is 'crucial to the survival of the sport'.

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Efford makes late intervention: "Is it your intention to use major match hosting and funding as leverage over counties in these matters?"

Harrison: "Categorically, yes."

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Knight makes even later intervention: "What are you going to do about the Colin Graves Trust and its profoundly unhealthy relationship with Yorkshire?"

Harrison recognises that it is a major problem and says it will come under scope of governance review.

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That concludes proceedings. Thanks for sticking with it, it was a hard watch but a necessary one.

@AzeemRafiq30, you have been far stronger than any human being should have to be, and the game owes you a debt.

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