[Sport]Azeem Rafiq racism case: Roger Hutton resigns as Yorkshire chairman

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https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/59172267

Hutton - who had been under mounting pressure to step down - "apologised unreservedly" to 30-year-old Rafiq.

 

He said the club "should have recognised at the time the serious allegations of racism".

 

Hutton added that at Yorkshire he had "experienced a culture that refuses to accept change or challenge".

 

He was also highly critical of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), claiming the governing body "declined to help".

 

His resignation came before an emergency board meeting on Friday at which Hutton was expected to face calls to quit. More resignations are expected and Hutton says "some" non-executive board members have already left their posts.

 

It comes after an investigation found Rafiq was a victim of "racial harassment and bullying" - but the club said they would take no disciplinary action.

 

On Thursday Yorkshire were suspended from hosting England matches by the ECB.

 

The ECB said it was "clear" Yorkshire's handling of the issue is "wholly unacceptable and is causing serious damage to the reputation of the game".

 

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Hutton claimed that when he was made aware of Rafiq's allegations, he "immediately reached out" to the ECB "to ask for their help and intervention to support a robust inquiry" but there was a "reluctance to act".

 

In response, the ECB confirmed Yorkshire had contacted them at the start of the investigation, but said: "Our role is to operate as a regulator across the entire game. We must act independently of any club investigations, should we ever be required to intervene as regulator - either during or after.

 

"The reason why our governance is structured in this manner, is perfectly demonstrated in the way that these issues have played out at Yorkshire County Cricket Club."

 

Hutton calls on board members to resign

In a statement, Hutton said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly to Azeem.

 

"I am sorry that we could not persuade executive members of the board to recognise the gravity of the situation and show care and contrition.

 

"There has been a constant unwillingness from the executive members of the board and senior management at the club to apologise and to accept [there was] racism and to look forward.

 

"During my time as chairman, I take responsibility for failing to persuade them to take appropriate and timely action.

 

"This frustration has been shared by all of the non-executive members of the board, some of whom have also now resigned."

 

Hutton called on the executive members of the board to also resign "to make way for a new path for the club I love so much".

 

Speaking about the ECB, Hutton, who will be questioned by MPs alongside senior Yorkshire officials and Rafiq on 16 November, added: "I was saddened when they declined to help as I felt it was a matter of great importance for the game as a whole.

 

"It is a matter of record that I have continually expressed my frustration at the ECB's reluctance to act."

 

Hutton, a lifelong Yorkshire fan and local lawyer, took up the role in April 2020 and said he "never met Azeem and was not at the club during the period he was employed."

 

Speaking on Thursday, Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said he hoped the sanctions handed down by the ECB would "act as a short, sharp shock to bring the club to its senses".

 

"Like the rest of us, I imagine the members of Yorkshire County Cricket Club will be questioning why the board is still in place," he added.

 

Many companies have cut their ties with Yorkshire, including kit manufacturer Nike, primary sponsor Emerald Publishing and Yorkshire Tea. On Friday, NIC Services Group, who sponsor the front of Yorkshire's shirt, suspended its partnership with the club with immediate effect.

 

England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan, who is leading the side at the Men's T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, says the issues raised by the report and Yorkshire's response to it need to be addressed.