Tabassum Bhatti – who is the latest cricket player to go public with allegations about racism against Yorkshire County Cricket Club – in a recent interview reflected on the years of abuse the Pakistani player said he had suffered, including being urinated on.
Speaking publicly for the first time on ITV News, Bhatti, a former academy player for the county, said he was subject to racial slurs by teammates during his five years playing for the club as a teen.
Bhatti told the UK station racist “banter” was “the norm” and “it’s self-evident not a lot has been done in 20 years” to tackle the issue, not only at the club, but in the sport as a whole.
Caymanian cricketer and local tournament organiser Ricardo Roach told the Cayman Compass that while he had not experienced the harsh reality of racism, he understands it’s a major problem globally.
“It has been all over the cricketing world,” he said. “Racism has always existed, especially at the more traditional clubs. They are trying to stomp it out worldwide.”
Cayman resident and retired West Indies cricketer Michael Holding, in his best-selling book ‘Why We Kneel, How We Rise’, which was released this year, explained how racism dehumanises people, how it has been ignored, and what it is like to be treated differently just because of the colour of your skin.
Speaking with the The Sun newspaper, Holding addressed the recent accusations against Yorkshire, stating, “The England and Wales Cricket Board failed Yorkshire and they failed cricket.”
In addition, Bhatti said other players of colour had also suffered “disgusting” abuse during his time with the team, noting that he witnessed players desecrating a Muslim cricketer’s prayer mat. He said he hadn’t wanted to speak out, but “things really need to change”.
Club CEO Mark Arthur has since resigned.
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