Azeem Rafiq criticises Mike O’Farrell’s comments on lack of diversity in cricket

Azeem Rafiq has criticised comments made by Middlesex chair Mike O’Farrell to MPs about the struggle to make cricket more diverse, saying they highlight the “endemic problem” facing the sport.

Rafiq blew the whistle on the racist abuse he suffered as a player during two spells at Yorkshire in an appearance before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee in November last year.

His testimony, plus those of others who came forward to allege abuse during their county careers, prompted major change at Yorkshire and the implementation of a 12-point plan to tackle discrimination by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

County chairmen, including O’Farrell, were called before the same committee on Tuesday to talk about the efforts their clubs were making to become more diverse.

Committee chair Julian Knight put it to O’Farrell that Middlesex, based in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, was still underperforming, and O’Farrell said: “Fifty seven per cent of the players we have at under-17 come from culturally diverse backgrounds.

“As we move up the chain, particularly as we get to the academy, we then find it becomes more difficult for several reasons.

“The football and rugby world becomes much more attractive to the Afro-Caribbean community, and in terms of the South Asian community there’s a moment where we’re finding that they do not want to commit necessarily the same time that is necessary to go to the next step because they prefer – not always saying they do it – they prefer to go into other educational fields where cricket becomes secondary.

“Part of that is because it is rather a more time-consuming sport than some others, so we’re finding that’s difficult. Now that’s changing,