Yorkshire Cricket Club

[Octavian]

It’s quite noticeable the amount of people who only started posting in this thread after today’s revelations.

Sadly, but without surprise, the entire thing is a point scoring exercise.

It seems to be beyond the realms of some people to acknowledge Rafiq did wrong in 2011 and has admitted it but has been subjected to much worse before and since.

I defended Robinson for historical Tweets and I’ll defend Rafiq for one so far (I think). A decade of vicious racial bullying and humiliation is not even comparable to one tweet aged 19.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Can someone explain the “Steve” apology, please?

Is “Steve” another “code name,” like “Kevin” is supposed to be?

Yes, exactly that, although from what I have read it was only used for Cheteshwar Pujara, not any non-white people.

 

[BlueHammer85]

You really believe this will stop that?

I would be very surprised if YCCC and other clubs continued to use racist derogatory terms deemed as ‘banter’ going forward after all this. It may not stop it, but I’m certain it will reduce.

 

[meltonblue]

Oh yes it does.

For a racist anti-semite like Azeem to accuse others of being racist towards him is exceptionally hypocritical.

What's that I hear? But he said those comments when he was younger? Well surprise surprise, so did the individuals he has accused. They aren't absolved and now neither is he.

Should racism in cricket be investigated? Absolutely. Should it be addressed and eradicated? Absolutely. Should Azeem Rafiq's accounts be given ANY credit or acknowledgement after it has been proven he too was guilty in the exact same behaviour he has accused others of doing to him? Absolutely fucking not.

He's an antisemite who was racist to others and is now crying about receiving racist abuse himself. Goose and gander spring to mind in his case. He deserves no more attention on this subject. He's not the poster boy of addressing racism in sport some are still clinging on to. He's raised an important issue, yes, but after this revelation, his part is the conversation is over. Why should we acknowledge a racists opinion about racism in sport?

Even in the committee hearing the other day, he made the point that he doesn’t want to make it about the individuals though, he even said with some of them they wouldn’t have realised the impact of the consequences and all he wants from some of them is an acknowledgement it happened and of the impact, something he’s at least tried to address today. Regardless of whether you believe the sentiment, it’s more than either Yorkshire or some individuals have done.

Of course his account should be given acknowledgment because he’s on the receiving end of it. Not just that, he’s got others corroborating his account that were on the receiving end of it too. It doesn’t absolve anyone of the impact they caused, nor does it change the impact on those reading it that think it could happen to them in the future too.

It’s a really bizarre binary position to take. Would you say a burglar that got burgled couldn’t accuse that burglar of burgling?

That is admittedly a fun sentence to say out loud anyway, but you get the point …:)

 

[WNRH]

I would be very surprised if YCCC and other clubs continued to use racist derogatory terms deemed as ‘banter’ going forward after all this. It may not stop it, but I’m certain it will reduce.

It will be going on in all walks of life from all races from all around the world. The Indian, West Indies and Pakistani cricket dressing rooms will no doubt have words for white/black/Asian people but there won’t be anyone to bear the brunt of it like Rafiq did.

You don’t improve things by point scoring and taking an eye for an eye like today has become, you do it by owning your mistakes and learning from them which is what YCCC should have done from the outset which is why the whole thing is a load of bollocks. Nobody wins.

The intentions of Rafiq I believe were honourable in that he just wanted to influence change but as per usual, the media has done their dirty work to make it into a story it should not have become and once again causing more division.

 

[Metal Biker]

Even in the committee hearing the other day, he made the point that he doesn’t want to make it about the individuals though, he even said with some of them they wouldn’t have realised the impact of the consequences and all he wants from some of them is an acknowledgement it happened and of the impact, something he’s at least tried to address today. Regardless of whether you believe the sentiment, it’s more than either Yorkshire or some individuals have done.

Of course his account should be given acknowledgment because he’s on the receiving end of it. Not just that, he’s got others corroborating his account that were on the receiving end of it too. It doesn’t absolve anyone of the impact they caused, nor does it change the impact on those reading it that think it could happen to them in the future too.

It’s a really bizarre binary position to take. Would you say a burglar that got burgled couldn’t accuse that burglar of burgling?

That is admittedly a fun sentence to say out loud anyway, but you get the point …:)

Yeah I do, its a shame everyone has missed mine.

How much respect would you have for the burglar if the burgled burglar told you he had been burgled but was a burglar himself? (that was admittedly less fun to say)

Now throw in that you discover he had once burgled your own family members house. As I say, it hits home slightly different when the comments that were made are about people like your own self.

 

[Octavian]

Just a side point, I’ve been calling for Adil Rashid to be in the Test team for a very long time as I highly rate him and feel he is much better than the likes of Leach. The fact we’ve lost out on him because of a racist coach at county level pisses me off, not just for him but for English cricket. If anything, it shows the sheer idiocy of it by losing out on talent like that.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Yes, exactly that, although from what I have read it was only used for Cheteshwar Pujara, not any non-white people.

Was it because Cheteshwar doesn’t roll off the tongue?

Believe it or not, I work with a GLOBAL employee group, many of whom CHOOSE (via company computer) to use a “Company name/Nickname” rather than constantly have others trip over their somewhat complicated, nationally unique, name.

Multiple times, I have asked people what their real name was, knowing they were not “Steve,” as their ID showed, and was recently told (and not by any of the people I have asked!) that my request is “racially and culturally insensitive.” The thinking is that if they want to be called Steve, then Steve it is! (I am NOT suggesting Cheteshwar initiated such a request!)

A few people have used this process to create some “interesting” names for themselves, most of them hilarious! How about asking to be called “Doctor” instead of John? “Today’s flight is being performed by Captain Doctor Anderson and First Officer Super Johnson.”

Yes, IF the name “Steve” is code for another, much worse word, then that is unseemly and needs redress. I would expect Pujara to have addressed that in the first instance. Instead, it seems it was filed away for future use.

 

[domalino]

Was it because Cheteshwar doesn’t roll off the tongue?

Believe it or not, I work with a GLOBAL employee group, many of whom CHOOSE (via company computer) to use a “Company name/Nickname” rather than constantly have others trip over their somewhat complicated, nationally unique, name.

Multiple times, I have asked people what their real name was, knowing they were not “Steve,” as their ID showed, and was recently told (and not by any of the people I have asked!) that my request is “racially and culturally insensitive.” The thinking is that if they want to be called Steve, then Steve it is!

A few people have used this process to create some “interesting” names for themselves, most of them hilarious!

Apparently Cheteshwar Pujara does also go by Chet, Puji, Tesha, Teshy, Warza or Chetsy in the India team. None of them mouthfuls.

On it's own, it's not racist to call him Steve, it's just really disrespectful and he was really clear he didn't like it and in the context that all non-white players were denied their own name and given a generic English sounding name, it's feeds back into the racist culture.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Was it because Cheteshwar doesn’t roll off the tongue?

Believe it or not, I work with a GLOBAL employee group, many of whom CHOOSE (via company computer) to use a “Company name/Nickname” rather than constantly have others trip over their somewhat complicated, nationally unique, name.

Multiple times, I have asked people what their real name was, knowing they were not “Steve,” as their ID showed, and was recently told (and not by any of the people I have asked!) that my request is “racially and culturally insensitive.” The thinking is that if they want to be called Steve, then Steve it is!

A few people have used this process to create some “interesting” names for themselves, most of them hilarious!

Yes, it had crossed my mind that it could be that. As I'm sure you are aware It's a common practice of East Asian students in Western universities, but they usually pick their own names.

Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is an example of someone more known by a nickname given to them, it is a play on his name's resemblance to Fred Flintsone. Not insulting or offensive but if he felt it was demeaning and not serious and had asked not to be called it all those years ago, I would hope people would have been polite enough to respect his wishes.

However, these considerations are all irrelevant, because Jack Brooks has already admitted using the name in the alleged context and apologised for it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/news/somerset-seamer-jack-brooks-apologises-to-cheteshwar-pujara-over-steve-nickname/amp_articleshow/87781332.cms

Coincidentally, I was walking past the stadium today and saw a TV van (with satellite transmitter) and camera man setting up and assumed it was something to do with this.

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