Soumya Sarkar has only recently returned to the Bangladesh squad•AFP via Getty Images
Bangladesh have brought in Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam to replace Mohammad Saifuddin and Sabbir Rahman in their T20 World Cup squad.All four members were part of the team that played the recently concluded tri-series in New Zealand, and although Bangladesh lost all four matches, their technical consultant Sridharan Sriram insisted that there were positives.Soumya and Shoriful’s inclusions in the T20 World Cup squad seemed on the cards given their performance was marginally better than the other two who will now make their way back home from Christchurch.Related
Shakib aside, there's very little right about Bangladesh's T20I side
Sridharan Sriram: Bangladesh have clarity about their best combination
Soumya’s scores of 23 and 4 were enough for a team management, that includes Sriram, team director Khaled Mahmud and captain Shakib Al Hasan, to pick him. Soumya hadn’t been picked for Bangladesh in any format since a poor outing in last year’s T20 World Cup. He made 164 runs at a strike rate of 109.33 in last season’s BPL during this break.Bangladesh have also sacrificed the only pace-bowling allrounder they had in the squad, axing Saifuddin who has not been able to live up to his potential since his comeback in the Asia Cup in late August. Shoriful steps into his place, even though he hasn’t set the world alight in his last few T20I appearances. He will partner another fast bowler who has been enduring a dip in form, Mustafizur Rahman.Bangladesh head to Brisbane on Saturday where they will face Afghanistan (October 17) and South Africa (October 19) in two warm-up games. Their T20 World Cup campaign begins with a match against one of the first-round qualifiers in Hobart on October 24.Bangladesh T20 World Cup squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain
Chelsea are believed to be the favourites to sign a “creative” forward for manager Enzo Maresca, with talks currently ongoing for his services before January deadline day.
Chelsea set sights on signing new attacker in January
A lot of the transfer talk centered around Maresca’s potential move for a new centre-back, but with Trevoh Chalobah recalled from his Crystal Palace loan, attention is now turning to the forward area.
Chelsea "in talks" for first 2025 signing in versatile £30 million forward
The west Londoners have entered negotiations.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 17, 2025
The prospect of versatile Chelsea attacker Christopher Nkunku potentially making his way out of the door is a serious one. Credible German media sources report that Nkunku has verbally agreed terms with Bayern Munich, who have identified the Frenchman as their top transfer target.
This has seemingly motivated Stamford Bridge transfer chiefs to dip into the market for a new attacker, with Bayern’s young forward Mathys Tel very much appreciated by Chelsea as initial talks are held over a swap deal involving Nkunku (Fabrizio Romano).
That being said, the 19-year-old could prove difficult to tempt away from Bavaria.
“He’s [Tel] seen as one of the best young strikers in Europe,” said a panelist on Sky Sports this week.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)
January 20
Man City (away)
January 25
West Ham (away)
February 3
Brighton (away)
February 14
Aston Villa (home)
February 22
“He can play left-hand side, he can play up front as well, I think he’s got the physical presence to play up front, when you see him play he’s lean, he’s mobile, he’s got good pace, which is why most of his opportunities have come from the left-hand side.
“When Julian Nagelsmann was there, he said that he was capable of scoring 40 goals a season, they know how good a player he is and I feel like it might be quite difficult for Chelsea to get him out of Bayern at this stage. But, he’s a player who Chelsea have watched for a little while.”
There are other targets in mind for Chelsea before the end of this winter window, and one of them is believed to be Deportivo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez.
Chelsea in pole position for Yeremay Hernandez with talks ongoing
Spanish media reports suggested recently that Chelsea have bid for Hernandez, with CalcioNapoli 24 now weighing in with their own update.
The Italian news outlet claims Maresca’s side have indeed submitted an offer for the attacker, standing at around £9 million plus bonuses. They add that Chelsea are ahead in negotiations with Deportivo right now, and currently stand out in pole position for Hernandez’s signature ahead of Antonio Conte’s Napoli.
The La Liga 2 side “can sell” their star player for around £11 million, despite his £17 million release clause, meaning Chelsea could also acquire him for a cut-price fee.
With Chelsea “in the lead” to sign Hernandez as things stand, as per CalcioNapoli, supporters will be keen to know that he’s garnering quite a reputation in his homeland.
“Deportivo’s LW Yeremay Hernández (also known as Yeremay or Peke) is another prospect from the Canary islands shining in the Segunda División,” wrote Football Anaylst Ben Mattinson on X.
“Compact creative winger with excellent vision. Loves to play quick passes and 1-2’s or through balls in behind the defence.
“Yeremay is a skilful player in 1v1’s. Sharp turns to keep the ball close to his body. He’s happy to drive onto either foot to shoot. When carrying he likes to constantly alter his speed. Approach slow, then quickly accelerate – to maximise his strength (burst of acceleration).”
Antes de declarações bombásticas sobre a vontade de voltar ao Flamengo virem à tona, Jorge Jesus gravou uma entrevista ao programa”Bem, Amigos!”, que irá ao ar na próxima segunda (9). O técnico comentou sobre a sua trajetória de sucesso no clube, entre 2019 e 2020, e chegou a se esquivar quando perguntado se voltaria ao Rubro-Negro por conta do “ponto de vista profissional e ético”.
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– Foi o auge da minha carreira, em todos os aspectos. A minha passagem no Flamengo para mim é histórica. Não só pelos títulos que ganhamos, mas pela relação que tive com os jogadores. Eu nunca tive uma equipe em que nós estivéssemos tão ligados e que eu senti que eles gostavam tanto de mim. Nunca tinha ouvido os meus jogadores dizerem que me amavam. Foi uma sintonia muito forte – disse JJ, emendando uma resposta à pergunta de Galvão Bueno, apresentador do programa do “Sportv”, sobre a chance de voltar ao Fla:
– É uma pergunta muito complicada do ponto de vista profissional e ético. Aquilo que mais quero é que o Flamengo ganhe os objetivos que merece ter, e eu vou seguir a minha carreira. Posso ser treinador do Flamengo daqui a, sei lá, um ano, dois anos. Agora eu sou um treinador livre, posso escolher quem eu quiser. Daqui a um mês ou dois, se calhar, eu já não sou um treinador livre. Que na minha cabeça está voltar a vir ao Brasil treinar, está.
Jesus, que passa férias no Rio desde a última semana de abril, também falou a respeito da possibilidade de assinar com oFenerbahçe nos próximos dias.
– Quando eu chegar a Portugal, vou começar a conversar o que vou fazer da minha vida. Inclusive uma equipe, que é o Fenerbahçe, está à espera que eu chegue a Portugal. Não sei o que vai acontecer, mas vou ter que começar a ter decisões.
> Fla de olho no clássico! Veja a tabela do Brasileirão
Jorge Jesus está sem clube desde o fim de 2021, quando deixou o Benfica nos últimos dias de dezembro. De lá para cá, o treinador recebeu sondagens de diversos clubes, incluindo equipes do futebol brasileiro, como Atlético-MG, Fluminense e Corinthians, segundo o técnico destacou. O Mister, por sua vez, recusou as propostas, alegando que no Brasil só trabalharia no Fla, inclusive.
Unbroken 127-run stand puts Surrey’s unbeaten record under threat after Jamie Overton’s injury
ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2022Warwickshire 253 and 270 for 4 (Hain 87*, Rhodes 72*) lead Surrey 316 (Pope 65) by 207 runsSam Hain’s assured 87 not out and his superb unbroken stand of 127 with Will Rhodes enabled Warwickshire to fight back strongly on day three to reach a second innings 270 for 4 against Surrey at the Kia Oval.Warwickshire captain Rhodes was unbeaten on 72 when bad light ended proceedings seven overs early and, with Alex Davies also contributing a gritty 49, LV= Insurance County Championship leaders Surrey go into the final day 207 runs behind and suddenly with their unbeaten Division One record under possible threat.Surrey were badly handicapped, however, by an injury to England Test fast bowler Jamie Overton, who had to be helped from the field early in the morning session after sending down just five balls. He did not return.Overton hurt his left foot in the delivery stride as he was about to send down the last ball of his first over, with Warwickshire struggling at 32 for 2 after losing both Dom Sibley and nightwatchman Danny Briggs in the fifth and sixth overs of the day.Hain has so far batted for four hours, facing 187 balls and hitting nine fours, and is in sight of a fourth hundred of a prolific season which has now brought him 945 runs at an average of almost 79. He always looked in control, accumulating solidly but, at one stage, cutting Will Jacks’ offspin away for four and then skipping down the pitch to the next ball to loft it straight for another boundary.Rhodes, more aggressive in his approach from the moment he reached the crease, has hit 10 fours from only 105 balls and the fifth wicket pair have taken Warwickshire from being only 80 runs ahead with four wickets down into a position where they might be able to declare and put Surrey under fourth innings pressure.Warwickshire had resumed on 1 without loss in their second innings, an overall deficit of 63, and they looked to be in deep trouble when Sibley was bowled by Kemar Roach for 6, shouldering arms to a ball that swung back into him, and Briggs quickly followed for 1 when he pulled at Jordan Clark and under-edged to keeper Ben Foakes.Chris Benjamin then thick-edged a cut at Clark through Ryan Patel’s upstretched fingers at third slip for four, and batting looked a tricky business in the day’s opening session and under cloudy skies.Six minutes before lunch, indeed, Benjamin’s promising 76-ball 38 was ended by a fine catch by Foakes from an inside edge as he propped defensively forward to one from Jacks that turned sharply.Davies, on 23 at the interval, added 75 with Hain in increasingly confident manner as Surrey clearly missed Overton’s pace in the middle overs of the innings.Jacks, though, produced another excellent piece of bowling to give them a much-needed boost, with an arm ball luring Davies forward and allowing Foakes to pull off a smart stumping as the batter over-balanced as he played and missed. Davies had battled through 137 balls, in more than three hours at the crease.The post-tea session was dominated by Hain and Rhodes, however, as Surrey took the second new ball to no avail at 227 for 4. Warwickshire’s 200-run lead arrived when Hain punched Clark off the back foot to the square cover ropes to underline the transformation in the game’s fortunes.
West Ham United have made an approach to sign a player from Arsenal in the last week, following his decision to depart the Emirates Stadium.
Julen Lopetegui drops West Ham transfer hint for January
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui has dropped a January transfer hint with the winter window now well underway, as injuries strike for crucial figureheads.
West Ham approach elite club over signing £17m midfielder this week
The Hammers are making moves ahead of January.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 1, 2025
Jarrod Bowen has broken his foot and will be out for the foreseeable future, dealing a seismic blow to Lopetegui, who now ponders life without his club captain. The east Londoners take on Premier League champions Man City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, and it will be a difficult game to navigate minus the talismanic winger in their side.
Meanwhile, long-serving striker Michail Antonio has been discharged from hospital after suffering a horrific car crash in December last year, and the Jamaica international is expected to face a lengthy spell of rehabilitation before deciding whether he can play again.
West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Man City (away)
January 4
Fulham (home)
January 14
Crystal Palace (home)
January 18
Aston Villa (away)
January 26
Chelsea (away)
February 3
“Unfortunately for us it is not going to be a few days,” said Lopetegui on Bowen’s injury.
“He was able to play 30 minutes with his injury, but now he has to rest and recover. Let’s see, but it is not good news for us. We are sure that Jarrod is going to try to make shorter the time that he recovers, because of his character. But it is true that he is going to be out in the next matches.
“Jarrod is one of our main players and our captain. But now we have to find solutions and it is the moment for other players to show that they are ready to help us.”
Newcastle defender Lloyd Kelly against Jarrod Bowen
When asked about the January window in his pre-Man City press conference, Lopetegui claimed that West Ham are “working” on potential new additions behind-the-scenes.
“It is true that we have these two important losses [Bowen and Antonio]. The club knows our needs and are working about [on] that,” said Lopetegui on West Ham signing players this month.
“We have to be focused in preparing for the next match against Manchester City, despite for sure the club is going to be working.”
There are reports that West Ham are targeting Real Sociedad forward Brais Mendez as an option, but it is believed they’re also thinking of reinforcing their back line.
West Ham make approach for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney
According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, the Irons are keen admirers of Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who’s apparently decided to leave N5 in January.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney.
Tierney is widely reported to be in pre-contract talks with Celtic, as his contract expires at the end of this season, but TBR write that the Scotland international is eager to quit Arsenal as early as this month.
They also claim West Ham have made an approach for Tierney in the last week. However, the £120,000-per-week defender has snubbed their interest, and ultimately favours a move back to former club Celtic above all as he continues talks with the Scottish champions.
Tierney made his first senior appearance for Arsenal in over a year during a 69-minute Carabao Cup cameo against Crystal Palace in late December, featuring in each of their last seven Premier League matchday squads, but his long-term future is certain to be away from north London.
Lamine Yamal received a special welcome at a WWE Smackdown taping in Barcelona on Friday, meeting legend Triple H and receiving a personalised belt.
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WWE Champ Cody Rhodes poses for pic with young star
Triple H heralded Yamal and Barcelona's bright future
Wonderkid appeared with teammates Balde and Fort
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The WWE rolled out the red carpet for Barcelona's wunderkind on their first official televised event in the Catalonian capital. Yamal took the time to pose with Triple H, Drew McIntyre, and current Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Yamal attended the event alongside his Barça teammates Alejandro Balde and Hector Fort. The three youngsters received a rapturous welcome by the fans in attendance. Playing to the crowd, the 17-year-old gleefully flashed his new hardware while sporting a massive grin.
WHAT TRIPLE H AND DREW MCINTYRE SAID
Both Triple H and Mcintyre took to their own X accounts to brag about meeting the young star.
AFP
WHAT NEXT FOR LAMINE YAMAL?
Luckily, Yamal doesn't have to worry about defending his ceremonial belt. Instead his focus will turn to Barcelona's top-of-the-table clash with Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. Next week, he'll report for duty with Spain ahead of their Nations League double header against the Netherlands.
Inter Miami have big names and cache in the U.S., but the MLS side will be challenged to make a deep run this summer
Inter Miami were always going to be here. It made literally no sense of them not to be. This is the Club World Cup, FIFA's flagship new tournament in America. Lionel Messi plays soccer here. Even if they had undergone a middling season, they would find a way to participate.
And so it came to pass, the 2024 MLS Supporters' shield winners were named to the competition and are hosting the opener of what FIFA hopes will be a crucial part of the fabric of world football for years to come.
All of the storylines center around one player, of course. Fans from all over want to see Lionel Messi play. But look closer, and there's a semblance of a good team to be found. Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba may be well past their best, but they still have experience in bunches.
Meanwhile, new manager Javier Mascherano has been tactically astute to open MLS's campaign. Making a run in the Club World Cup, though, is another matter. What's possible for Messi and Miami?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
Next up is Inter Miami, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for one of the two MLS sides participating in this summer's tournament.
Getty ImagesThe Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: MLS
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: None
GROUP: A (Inter Miami, Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly FC)
OPENING MATCH: Al Ahly – June 14, 8 p.m., Miami
AdvertisementImagnHow they got here
There didn't seem to be very clear criteria, honestly. Miami got here because FIFA sort of wanted them to be. There was a bit of controversy involved in their qualification. When Miami won the Supporters' Shield at the end of last year, FIFA announced that they would be playing this summer. MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy, meanwhile, will watch from home.
GettyThe player to watch
The competition notwithstanding, the subtext of the 2025 Club World Cup is about the spread of soccer in the United States, and what better to do it than have Lionel Messi play a central role? Of course, it's not that Messi will be particularly easy to miss.
The Argentine is 37, and doesn't move as much these days, but is still among the best in the world (those eight Ballons d'Or didn't win themselves).
He sort of strolls his way through MLS, and if the pieces were better shaped around him, he would be entering this with a winner's medal around his neck already. The question is what sort of impact he might be able to have against the bigger teams.
He is still elite for Argentina, but there were signs at last year's Copa America that he could be stifled. Either way, when you have Messi, you have a chance. Welcome to the Leo show.
Getty Images SportRealistic expectations
It depends on results elsewhere in the group, of course. Miami absolutely to beat Al Ahly in their opener, and hope that results elsewhere go their way. Four points, historically, tends to be enough to get out of a four-team group.
A result against Palmeiras, and hope that Porto win out – which they really should – and Miami could sneak through in second place.
After that, all bets are off. A kind draw might get them through the last 16, but – in a tournament featuring the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, among others – anything beyond that would be a minor miracle. MLS clubs just aren't at that level yet.
Chelsea certainly haven’t been afraid to splash the cash recently as Todd Boehly aims to take the club back towards the summit of the Premier League after numerous years away from a title battle.
The Blues hierarchy have spent around £1.2bn on new signings since 2022 to try and propel themselves back into the reckoning – a huge risk given the limitations of the division’s PSR and FFP rules.
Bedding in all the new talent and establishing a settled squad has proved difficult for numerous managers over the last couple of years, but Enzo Maresca appears to have found the winning formula at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca
The Italian has won ten of his 17 matches in charge after his summer appointment from Leicester City, losing on just three occasions – achieving a win percentage of 59%.
It’s very rare that the 44-year-old ever makes drastic changes to his league starting lineup, with the consistency allowing his side to sit in third place during the current international break.
One player in particular has been impressive since Maresca’s arrival, taking his game to the next level despite his impressive debut campaign in West London last year.
Moises Caicedo’s stats for Chelsea in 2024/25
After his English record transfer of £115m from Brighton during the summer of 2023, Moises Caicedo was always going to have the price tag looming over his head – undoubtedly bringing increased scrutiny should he underperform.
However, nearly 18 months on from his move to the capital, you very rarely hear anyone complain about the price tag paid for the 23-year-old – a sign that he’s clearly making the impact required for such a fee.
The Ecuador international made 48 appearances for the Blues in all competitions during his first season at the Bridge, but it has been his start to 2024/25 that has seen the youngster take his game to the next level.
Caicedo has only missed 14 minutes of Premier League action throughout the first 11 matches of the season, playing a crucial role as a ball-winner at the base of Maresca’s side.
He’s already won 25 tackles this campaign, an average of over two per game – the highest of any player in the current first team – an example of his importance to the Italian.
However, he’s also had an effect in attacking areas, contributing with two assists before scoring his first goal of the season with a perfectly placed volley against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Any side in the world would be lucky to have a player of Caicedo’s quality, but the Blues already have another version of the big-money man who could be crucial for Maresca during his time at the helm.
Chelsea's new Caicedo
Although the club are currently stacked with numerous midfield options, it may be about to get even worse ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos joined the club back in January 2023 for around £18m, before joining fellow top-flight side Nottingham Forest at the start of the last campaign.
Andrey Santos Chelsea
However, his move was a disaster, featuring just twice before being recalled and sent to French side Strasbourg, a decision that has allowed him to flourish and take his game to the next level.
After spending the last six months of last season on loan, he returned to Ligue 1 with the same side for the current campaign, achieving a phenomenal start in the last few weeks.
The 20-year-old has already found the back of the net five times in his ten appearances, having a big impact in the final third despite primarily being a deep-lying midfielder.
However, the “monster” Brazilian talent, as dubbed by Brazilian analyst Nathan Joyes, has also excelled defensively, winning 2.47 tackles per 90 this season, with a total of 37, putting him just one behind £115m man Caicedo.
Given the impact so far during his temporary stint away from Stamford Bridge, it’s evident that he has the potential to improve further but also battle for a regular first-team role next campaign.
How Santos compares to Caicedo in 2024/25
Statistics (* = per 90)
Santos
Caicedo
Games played
10
11
Goals & assists
5
3
Progressive carries *
1.2
0.8
Tackles won *
2.5
2.3
Take-on success *
53%
47%
Aerial success *
70%
65%
Stats via FBref
He’s yet to make a competitive appearance for Maresca’s side since his transfer, but his time with Strasbourg is giving the youngster all of the experience needed to be a success with his parent side.
It would prevent any more money being spent by the club’s hierarchy, allowing for an unbelievable partnership at the base of the Blues midfielder for many years to come.
Chelsea set to unearth their own Yamal in "crazy" £100m star in the making
Chelsea could have their very own Lamine Yamal with this “crazy” talent.
خاض منتخب فرنسا، مساء يوم الأحد، منافسات دور ربع نهائي بطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية نسخة 2025، وذلك ضد نظيره منتخب كرواتيا.
وتلاقى المنتخبان على ملعب “فرنسا” في خضم لقاءات إياب مرحلة ربع نهائي البطولة، حيث فازت فرنسا بفضل ركلات الترجيح.
كانت مباراة الذهاب، يوم الخميس الماضي، قد انتهت بخسارة منتخب فرنسا بهدفين دون رد.
وسيطر التعادل السلبي على أحداث مباراة المنتخبين في الشوط الأول، حيث لم يتمكن الفريقان من التسجيل طوال الدقائق الـ45 الأولى.
واستمر الوضع كما هو حتى الدقيقة 52، حيث تمكن مايكل أوليز من تسجيل هدف التقدم لصالح منتخب فرنسا.
وفي الدقيقة 80، تمكن النجم عثمان ديمبلي من تسجيل الهدف الثاني لصالح منتخب فرنسا، لتشتعل المباراة، حيث أصبحت النتيجة 2/2 (مجموع الذهاب والإياب).
واحتكم المنتخبان إلى الأشواط الإضافية، حيث لم تتغير النتيجة، ليحتكما إلى ركلات الترجيح والتي حسمها منتخب فرنسا لصالحه بنتيجة 5/4.
وتأهلت فرنسا بذلك إلى نصف نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية حيث ستواجه إسبانيا التي تأهلت على حساب هولندا.
وتواجدت فرنسا بذلك في المجموعة الرابعة في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 رفقة كل من أوكرانيا، آيسلندا وأذربيجان، في حين أن كرواتيا تتواجد في المجموعة الثانية عشر رفقة كل من التشيك، مونتنيجرو، جزر الفارو وجبل طارق.
Former Yorkshire player determined that change will be real and not ‘box-ticking’ or ‘tokenism’
Valkerie Baynes16-Nov-2021As a 15-year-old playing local club cricket, Azeem Rafiq was pinned down in a car and had red wine poured down his throat.Soon after arriving at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, he and other players from Asian backgrounds were subjected to racist treatment and offensive language such as being told to “sit over there near the toilets” and the repeated use of the slur “P**i”.In a powerful account of those experiences while giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee hearing into Yorkshire’s racism scandal, Rafiq said he lost his career to racism.Amid fruitless attempts to raise concerns over his treatment through official channels, Rafiq has previously revealed that he could have lost his life.Related
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Live Blog – Parliamentary inquiry into Yorkshire racism investigation
Now that the game has been forced to listen, Rafiq is determined that it continues to do so before making real and meaningful change rather than “box-ticking” and gestures which amount to little more than “tokenism”.”All I wanted to do was play cricket and play cricket for England and live my dream and live my family’s dream,” Rafiq told the hearing. “Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes I do.”Hopefully in five years time we’re going to see a big change and I can look back at it that I did something that is far bigger than any runs I got or any wickets I got. But it’s horrible, it hurts.”Rafiq’s appearance at the hearing followed the botched handling of an inquiry set up by Yorkshire into his allegations of institutional racism while he was a player at the club during two stints between 2008 and 2018. The investigation upheld seven of 43 allegations made by Rafiq but the club insisted that no disciplinary action against its employees, players or executives was warranted. Among its most controversial findings, the investigating panel dismissed Gary Ballance’s use of the term “P**i” towards Rafiq as “banter” between friends.As the crisis deepened, a number of major sponsors abandoned the club and Headingley was suspended from hosting major fixtures as some leading figures at Yorkshire resigned. Lord Kamlesh Patel, who took over as club chairman earlier this month, praised Rafiq’s courage as a whistleblower and announced the establishment of an independent hotline for victims of discrimination to come forward.Other clubs followed by issuing statements committing to zero tolerance on racism and inviting players past and present to raise any complaints. Other players have already come forward in the media, including two former players at Essex, where John Faragher resigned as chair last week following an allegation of racist language used at a board meeting in 2017.Rafiq told the hearing he had received messages from people connected with at least three other counties to talk about their experiences and he encouraged widespread use of hotlines similar to the one announced by Lord Patel to fully expose the problem within the sport.”There’s a quick rush to move forward,” Rafiq said. “I think before we move forward, the game needs to listen to a lot of people who have suffered a lot of abuse up and down the country.”I can’t even imagine as a parent, hearing me speak now, why I would ever want my kids to go anywhere near the game… this is where it’s for the ECB and the counties to show that they can actually use this as an opportunity for change.”Azeem Rafiq bowls for Yorkshire during T20 finals day in 2016•Getty Images
Rafiq was asked to address suggestions he had been a “heavy drinker” while at Yorkshire.”I’ve been clear from the outset, I wasn’t perfect,” he said. “There’s things I did I felt I had to do to fit in and try and achieve my dreams and I’m not proud of them, it’s something I deeply regret but it has no relation to racism.”I should have never, ever been treated the way I was treated. When I spoke I should have been listened to. Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the game as a whole really has a problem listening to the victim. There is no two sides to a story when it comes to racism.”Rafiq then detailed being forced to drink alcohol as a young, Muslim teenager while still playing club cricket.”The first instance of drinking, I actually got pinned down at my local cricket club and red wine got poured down my throat,” he said. “The player played for Yorkshire, played for Hampshire.”I didn’t touch alcohol until about 2012 and around that time I felt like I had to do that to fit in. I regret that massively, but it has no bearing on the things that I was called.”Rafiq had also accused Yorkshire of failing to provide support when his son was stillborn shortly before he left the club for the second time, in 2018. Asked on Tuesday why it had taken a couple of years for him to speak out, Rafiq almost broke down as he gave an emotional account of the toll his experiences had taken on him and his family.”When I left I had four or five months left on my contract,” Rafiq said. “I was encouraged to sign a confidentiality agreement and take a sum of money, which I refused, which at that time would have been a lot of money for me. I knew my wife was struggling, I knew I was struggling, there was no way mentally I could have even considered putting myself through this trauma. I left the country, I actually went to Pakistan and I never wanted to come back.”Until right at the end, I was in complete denial as to what was going on. It was only around the back end of 2017 when I lost my son that I went, you know what, hold on a minute, I’ve seen other players have family tragedies and get support beyond measure. I’ve just carried my son from the hospital to the graveyard and how I’m getting treated here is not right.”To me, it became very clear that even myself, I’d been looking the other way and there’s a real problem here, at not just Yorkshire, throughout the country and I’m going to be the one that speaks about this.”And Rafiq said that speaking out had continued to pose challenges for family life, including his wife.”We’ve got two young kids and they’ve not had a dad really because all I’ve been worried about is Yorkshire going out to discredit me and how I’m going to deal with it,” he said. “Dealing with lawyers, dealing with press. [It’s been] challenging but I just hope today provides some sort of closure and I can treat her for what she deserves.”