England and Wales Cricket Board launches probe over ‘blackface’ complaints

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board has launched an investigation after an Asian cricketer was subject to disciplinary measures for criticizing rivals who attended a party in blackface, and another player left his club over systemic racism.

Umar Razaq, of Siston Town Cricket Club, said four members of rivals Sileby Town Cricket Club dressed as the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team from the movie “Cool Runnings” at a fancy dress party in 2014.

Razaq, 31, posted an image of the four posing with Nigel Kinch, Sileby Town chairman and a member of the Leicestershire and Rutland cricket league, on Facebook, demanding an apology.

The post came after previous allegations of racist language used by a member of Sileby Town against Razaq resulted only in a short ban.

But instead of fresh action, Razaq said Kinch summoned him for a disciplinary hearing, accusing him of breaching social media policy.

Razaq told The Guardian: “This guy is the figurehead of the league of 38 teams. I just wanted him to acknowledge that blackface is wrong and to apologize publicly so that younger players coming through wouldn’t be put off. 

“It was his party at his cricket club and he should have sent those boys home in disgrace, not had his picture taken with them. Excuses are being made for actions that are inexcusable.

“Last October I decided enough was enough when (the suspended member) returned to the club having called me a p— in the past and served only a short ban. I called for him to apologize on social media and I was trolled by people talking about white power.

“So I shared the photo of the party (taken in 2014) which was still up on a Sileby player’s Facebook page. An apology would have ended it. Instead, I was reported to the