Professional Cricketers’ Association admits failings in support of Azeem Rafiq

Professional Cricketers’ Association chief executive Rob Lynch has accepted the union made failings with its support to Azeem Rafiq but insisted it made a safe and well check to the police about him due to genuine concerns.

Former spinner Rafiq described the organisation as “incredibly inept” during an appearance in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee in November, when he laid bare his racism claims against Yorkshire.

In addition to criticism of the PCA for making him feel isolated and being told by its lawyers he did not have a case, Rafiq questioned why he received a phone call from the police telling him he had been reported missing.

Lynch told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday: “Look, we had some failings in our dealings with Azeem Rafiq and have learnt a lot of lessons from the last 12 months with Azeem.

“We applaud Azeem for his courage and bravery in being the whistleblower coming forward to create the necessary change within the game.

“The PCA has offered support to Azeem throughout his career but clearly in this dispute with Yorkshire we did not meet the standards we would have wished to. We have apologised, both Julian (Metherell) and I, directly to Azeem for where we went wrong.”

During Rafiq’s harrowing evidence in November, which contributed towards a 12-point action plan being released to help cricket tackle its problem with racism, he reflected about being in a dark place and how once when sat with his family he received a call from the police.

The ex-England Under-19 captain alleged the PCA had reported him to be a missing person and speculated whether it had been done to “tick a box just in case I killed myself.”

But Lynch insisted: “The action we took was borne from