Ex-cricketers in UK face sanctions over racism against Pakistani teammate

LONDON: Six former cricket players in the UK are set to be sanctioned today following a hearing that confirmed their use of racist language against Pakistani teammates, The Independent reported.

The ex-Yorkshire cricketers — John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard, Richard Pyrah and Gary Ballance — used the term “Paki” to refer to teammate Azeem Rafiq as well as other individuals, a hearing on March 31 found.

The independent Cricket Discipline Commission panel will take the players’ own accounts of the incidents into consideration before issuing the sanctions at a hearing on Wednesday.

Hoggard, a former England player, used the term “Paki” toward Rafiq, as well as the nickname “Rafa the Kaffir” during the 2008 season.

He also labeled former Yorkshire teammate Ismail Dawood the “token black man” of the team.

Gale, a former Yorkshire captain and head coach, was also discovered to have used the same terms against Rafiq as well as Yorkshire academy player Mosun Hussain.

Blain, in 2010 and/or 2011 while at Yorkshire, also used the racist term, while Bresnan and Pyrah had labeled Pakistani women as “fit Pakis.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, only Ballance — who already admitted to using racist or discriminatory language — had submitted a personal account of the incidents.

The other five former players did not appear before the March hearing and had withdrawn from proceedings.

The panel has the power to impose playing suspensions and fines, as well as mandatory training courses.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the team at the center of the racism storm, admitted to four charges relating to allegations leveled by Rafiq, who claimed that the club had tried to cover up his complaints.

The club itself will face a