"Incredibly inept" PCA to give evidence as DCMS committee examine Azeem Rafiq treatment

Rafiq heavily criticised the players' union during his testimony last November and they will face questions from MPs on Tuesday (February 8)

MPs will question the Professional Cricketers' Association over their role during the investigation into Azeem Rafiq's treatment at Yorkshire.

The former spinner, who was subject to racism and bullying during two spells at Headingley, described the players' union as "incredibly inept" during his testimony in November.

Representatives of the body, including chair James Harris and vice-chair Anuj Dal, will be asked to disclose what support they provided to Rafiq during the ordeal to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee.

PCA non-executive chair Julian Metherell and Rob Lynch, PCA chief executive, will also attend the session next Tuesday, February 8.

The quartet will additionally be asked to outline their involvement in the England and Wales Cricket Board's 12-point equality, diversity and inclusion plan.

Last month, the DCMS made a number of recommendations in their Racism in Cricket report and stated the sport's public funding should be limited if it does not make enough progress in tackling racism.

A statement read: "The committee is expected to question the PCA on the support they provided Azeem Rafiq when he accused Yorkshire County Cricket Club of racial harassment and bullying - support that he characterized as 'incredibly inept'.

"The union’s involvement in the ECB’s 12-point plan to combat racism in the sport may be explored. 

^{James Harris, currently at Glamorgan, was installed as chair in 2021 (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

"This plan followed the committee’s racism in cricket report which recommended that funding for cricket must depend on progress on tackling racism."

Rafiq detailed his treatment at Yorkshire, where he played from 2008-2014 and 2016-2018, in an at times emotional address to MPs last year.

His witness statement submitted as part of the employment tribunal with Yorkshire also included a number of claims against former teammates and coaches.

It was while being questioned by MPs that the 30-year-old criticised the role of the PCA, who have represented players past and present since 1967, for failing to support him while the investigation into institutional racism at Yorkshire was ongoing.

“I found the PCA stance incredibly inept," he said. "It was ‘oh, we’ve got members on both sides’. You’re protecting the perpetrators and you have no interest in where this is taking me?

"The PCA kept telling me when the report comes out, they would support me. Once it did, they said we have no powers, we can just push the ECB. An organisation that should have been there for me and supported me left to fight on my own."

In December, The Cricketer revealed that the PCA were investigating the disclosure of information relating to a gambling debt incurred by Rafiq that was paid off by the Professional Cricketers' Trust - the PCA-run charity.