Azeem Rafiq says he is "incredibly hurt" that England captain Joe Root said he could not recall ever witnessing racism at Yorkshire.
www.bbc.co.uk
i see root is under pressure from the Yorkshire CCC racism of Azeem Rafiq by saying he does not recall ever witnessing racism at Yorkshire ? clearly they are after his blood next and i think he's a dead man walking as england captain
will they (ECB) jump before the ashes or after we lose in the first 3 test. but his time as captain is up and not just for the racism of Azeem Rafiq at Yorkshire. but a very poor summer and last winters tours
Root's been really shit through this entire thing.
When it happened, he didn't back his friend or support him when people were casting aspersions, he just said it's sad to see Rafiq upset and I hope it's over quickly.
Then he stayed silent when the report was leaked. When the sponsors left. When the parliamentary commission was announced. When half the board resigned. When Lord Patel was brought in. When his best mate Gary Ballance got named and shamed. When the captain was suspended. When more former players came out and made accusations.
All the while, people were asking where was Yorkshire's captain in all this. No real support for Rafiq and say he believed him, nothing to suggest he'd use his status at the club to help sort things out. Nothing to even reassure the Yorskhire fans.
Root's made a target for his own back with this incredibly conspicuous silence, and then when he finally said something and was asked if he heard any racist stuff while at the club, he couldn't have sounded more guilty.
The one thing that was protecting him was Rafiq saying a few times that Root was a very good friend, so him now expressing shock and disappointment with Root's public answers has removed that shield an put him in the trouble he probably should have been in sooner.
After all, who is more responsible for dressing room culture than the captain?