LONDON: Former England cricketer Matthew Hoggard has stated that Yorkshire historical racism investigation and disciplinary process has failed everyone involved, including Azeem Rafiq. Hoggard, who is facing four charges from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has withdrawn his co-operation from the process.
Rafiq first made claims of racism at Yorkshire in August 2020 and later called English cricket “institutionally racist”. Hoggard, who played county cricket for Yorkshire and Leicestershire, says he is on “good terms” with Rafiq, whom he called after seeing him appear on television in September 2020.
He told BBC Sport: “The process has failed everybody. Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with, “Azeem [Rafiq] has a problem with it, all the respondents have, [former Yorkshire chairman] Lord Patel has, Yorkshire have. There has got to be a better way.”
Hoggard is facing four charges of bringing the game into disrepute, centred on allegedly using racist language during his time at Yorkshire. In his first interview since allegations were made against him, Hoggard added: “I’m pulling out because I don’t think it’s a fair process. “There are no winners in this. It is not an admission of guilt. The people who know the truth, know the truth. That is all that matters to me.
“At the moment, whatever Raffa wants Raffa is getting,” claimed Hoggard. “It is getting weighted towards one side. I, as a respondent, have not been spoken to by the ECB once.”
The ECB said it “wrote to individuals to give them an opportunity to respond in writing before any charge was filed” and that “any respondent who requested we also speak to them was also spoken to”. He added: “This has included a legal investigation that confirmed I was a victim of racial harassment and bullying; a Yorkshire-commissioned panel that concluded I suffered discrimination; numerous apologies, both public and private, from people who witnessed or were involved in this behaviour; and others have come forward to confirm the culture in the wider game.”
