LONDON: A hearing into the racism scandal at Yorkshire started on Wednesday, with ex-player Azeem Rafiq set to give evidence more than two years after he made damning allegations over his treatment by the English county cricket club.
The initial proceedings were held in private but a live stream of the independent Cricket Discipline Commission panel’s deliberations was set to be broadcast to accredited journalists later in the day.
Pakistan-born Rafiq, 32, first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire.
He told a British parliamentary committee in December 2022 the abuse he and his family had faced had forced him to leave the UK.
Disrepute charges against seven individuals with prior connections to the county were issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board last June, with the club also charged.
But the only charged individual still set to appear is ex-England captain Michael Vaughan.
Former players and coaches Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Richard Pyrah and John Blain have refused to engage with the process.
The CDC panel will still hear the charges against those five in their absence.
Gary Ballance, also charged, has already admitted using racially discriminatory language and will not appear.
Ballance, a former England Test player, is now playing for the country of his birth, Zimbabwe.
Yorkshire confirmed last week that documents relating to racism allegations against the club were deleted under the previous regime.
Previous officials at Yorkshire were roundly criticized for their handling of Rafiq’s case, with the ECB at one stage removing the county’s right to host lucrative England matches unless governance changes were made.
Rafiq alleges Vaughan told him and a group of Yorkshire team-mates of Asian ethnicity there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it” at a match in 2009.
Vaughan categorically denies the allegation, but Rafiq’s claim has been corroborated by current Yorkshire and England international Adil Rashid, as well as former Pakistan paceman Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
Public hearing starts into Azeem Rafiq Yorkshire cricket racism scandal
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Public hearing starts into Azeem Rafiq Yorkshire cricket racism scandal
- A live stream of the independent Cricket Discipline Commission panel's deliberations was set to be broadcast to accredited journalists later in the day
- Pakistan-born Rafiq first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire
Stubbs gives Delhi IPL play-off hope with win in last league match
- Left-handed Porel hit 58 before Stubbs smashed an unbeaten 57 off 25 balls to steer Delhi to 208-4 after being invited to bat first
- Ishant Sharma led the bowling charge with three early wickets as Delhi restricted Lucknow to 189-9 despite valiant knocks from Nicholas Pooran (61) and Arshad Khan, who hit an unbeaten 58
NEW DELHI: Fiery fifties from Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs helped Delhi Capitals sign off their IPL league phase on a high as they beat Lucknow Super Giants by 19 runs on Tuesday.
The win took Delhi to 14 points in 14 matches and they remain technically in the mix to reach the play-offs of the T20 tournament, but a run-rate in the negative keeps their chances slim.
“We are still in contention even after the last game,” Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant said after he returned to lead the side following a one-match ban for slow over-rate.
“We had a better chance of qualifying if I would have had a chance to play in the last game (which Delhi lost).”
The left-handed Porel hit 58 before Stubbs smashed an unbeaten 57 off 25 balls to steer Delhi to 208-4 after being invited to bat first at their high-scoring home venue, Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Pant, a left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, made 33 to cap off an impressive season after he came back in the IPL from a horror car crash in December 2022.
“Personally, it was fantastic to come back,” said Pant, who has been picked in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup next month.
“It was heartening to see the support from entire India. Was a long time to wait after one-and-a-half years. I want to be on the field all the time. Don’t want to miss any action.”
KL Rahul-led Lucknow have 12 points with one more match to play and have their hopes hanging by a thread.
The result confirmed a play-off spot for Rajasthan Royals, who became the second team to enter the final four alongside table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders.
The top four teams make the play-offs. The final is on May 26 in Chennai.
Ishant Sharma led the bowling charge with three early wickets as Delhi restricted Lucknow to 189-9 despite valiant knocks from Nicholas Pooran, who smashed 61, and Arshad Khan, who hit an unbeaten 58.
Delhi lost attacking opener Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck but Porel and Shai Hope, who struck 38, put on 92 runs to lay the foundations of the big total.
Delhi stuttered in the middle after they lost Porel, Hope and then Pant at regular intervals and Lucknow bowlers checked the flow of runs.
But Stubbs had other ideas and he hit back with a flurry of fours and sixes to fire Delhi past the 200 as the last three overs cost Lucknow 45 runs.
Lucknow suffered early blows after pace spearhead Ishant took down Rahul, for five, and Quinton de Kock, for 12, inside three overs.
Marcus Stoinis was stumped by Pant off spinner Axar Patel and Ishant, who was named man of the match, struck again to make Lucknow slip to 44-4.
Stubbs made it count with his off-spin as he sent back impact substitute Ayush Badoni out for six to end a 27-run partnership with Pooran.
The left-handed Pooran attempted to drive the chase in his 27-ball knock laced with six fours and four sixes but he left a lot to be done when he departed in the 12th over.
Number eight Arshad then raised hopes of a turnaround with his late charge as he raised his first T20 50 in 25 balls to give Delhi a scare.
Arshad kept losing partners as he continued the charge but in the end failed to match up the asking-rate.
Bengaluru win five in row to keep IPL play-off hopes alive, Chennai victorious again
- Bengaluru, who moved to fifth, have mounted a late charge to make the play-offs
BENGALURU: Rajat Patidar's attacking fifty and inspired bowling set up Royal Challengers Bengaluru's fifth straight win to improve their IPL play-off hopes with a 47-run thrashing of Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
Bengaluru posted 187-9 after Cameron Green hit an unbeaten 24-ball 32 and bowlers then combined to bowl out Delhi for 140 in 19.1 overs at their home M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Bengaluru, who moved to fifth, have mounted a late charge to make the play-offs but will need to win their last league match and other results to go in their favour to be in the top four.
Delhi slipped to sixth and go into their final match with 12 points. Bengaluru have also 12 points from 13 matches, but boast a better run-rate.
"Brilliant, we put in some good performances and I'm really pleased. It's just confidence," Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis said.
"First half of the season, things didn't quite come together and from that batting perspective and bowling perspective we have been able to put it together now."
In the first match of the day, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led holders Chennai Super Kings to a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals and boost their play-off hopes.
Chennai moved to 14 points and third place with seven wins in 13 matches.
Rajasthan remain second in the 10-team table led by Kolkata Knight Riders, who are the only team to have already qualified for the next stage.
The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai.
In match two, star batsman Virat Kohli took charge after he smashed 27 off 13 balls to lay the foundation of Bengaluru's total in a match where Delhi missed skipper Rishabh Pant, who was suspended after a slow over-rate offence.
Kohli remains the leading batsman this season with 661 runs including one century and five half-tons.
Patidar, who hit 52, soon took control in a 88-run stand with England batsman Will Jacks, who smashed 41, before a late charge by Green.
Delhi faltered in their chase after they lost David Warner for one off left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh.
Left-arm quick Yash Dayal took down Abishek Porel and then ran out Jake Fraser-McGurk in successive balls and soon Delhi slipped to 30-4.
Stand-in-skipper Axar Patel put up a fight with his 57 off 39 balls but fell to Dayal in the 16th over and the wheels came off the chase.
Australia's Green took a wicket and ran out Tristan Stubbs to add to his batting cameo and was named player of the match for the first time this season.
"When your main players are run out and you lose four in powerplay, you're chasing the game," said Patel. "Anything can happen (in the race to the play-offs), but we haven't thought that far ahead."
In the earlier match, five-time champions Chennai restricted Rajasthan to 141-5, a total they overhauled with 10 balls to spare in their last home game at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Gaikwad anchored Chennai's tricky chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals including when Ravindra Jadeja was called out for "obstructing the field".
Jadeja was sent back by Gaikwad while attempting a second run and he changed direction on the pitch when the throw from wicketkeeper Sanju Samson hit his hand and the third umpire ruled him out after an appeal from the opposition.
Gaikwad kept his cool and put on an unbeaten 24-run stand with impact substitute Sameer Rizvi, who hit the winning boundary.
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan centuries send Gujarat to vital win over Chennai in IPL
- Captain Gill, left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad, made 104 off 55 balls
AHMEDABAD: Centuries by Shubman Gill and opening partner Sai Sudharsan spearheaded Gujarat Titans to a 35-run win over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Captain Gill, left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad, made 104 off 55 balls and left-hander Sudharsan was equal to the task in raising his maiden IPL hundred with a splendid 103 off 51 balls.
Their total of 231-3 was briefly challenged while Daryl Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) were batting, but Chennai fell short at 196-8.
Medium-pacer Mohit Sharma dismissed both half-century-makers in his 3-31.
Chennai’s loss tightened up the race to the playoffs. Chennai remained in the fourth and last playoff spot while Gujarat was just outside but needs to win its last two matches by big margins to drastically improve its net run rate.
Chennai sorely missed its frontline injured pacer Matheesha Pathirana and departed Mustafizur Rahman as Gill and Sudharsan paced the Gujarat innings.
Except for Shardul Thakur, who conceded only 25 runs, the other Chennai bowlers couldn’t stem the flow. Fast bowler Simarjeet Singh, in his second game of the season, was smashed for 60 off his four overs and Ravindra Jadeja was taken out of the attack after conceding 29 off his two overs of left-arm spin.
Both Gujarat openers reached their centuries off 50 balls and raised the joint-highest first wicket stand of 210 runs in IPL history. Chennai recovered briefly in the death overs and conceded just one boundary in the last three overs.
Tushar Deshpande dismissed both century-makers in the 18th over. Sudharsan, who hit seven sixes and five fours, holed out at extra cover and Gill was deceived by a slower ball and holed out at deep midwicket after hitting six sixes and nine fours.
Chennai slumped to 10-3. David Miller ran out Rachin Ravindra in the first over, Sandeep Warrier dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, and Gaikward went for a duck after a splended catch by Rashid Khan on the boundary.
Mitchell and Ali shared a 109-run stand for the third wicket but they were bagged by Sharma in his first two overs and Chennai couldn’t recover.
DP World ILT20 season 3 to begin Jan. 11 next year
Dubai: The third season of the DP World International League T20 will begin on Jan. 11 next year, organizers have announced.
The 34-match tournament will run for a month with the final to be played on Feb. 9.
The season three window announcement follows the hugely successful second season, which concluded with the MI Emirates lifting the iconic DP World ILT20 trophy in front of a capacity crowd at the Dubai International Stadium in the final on Feb. 17 this year.
The broadcast numbers for season two received a major boost with a total of 348 million unique viewers from around the world via the linear and online platforms of tournament broadcast rights holder Zee Network, and its broadcast syndication partners in different territories.
Season two also saw a major increase in crowds across the three tournament venues in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. There was a phenomenal increase in crowd numbers across the three sites, with a cumulative increase of almost 300 percent in comparison to the first season of the tournament.
Season three will once again provide spectators at the three stadiums and fans from around the world — using the Zee Network and partner platforms — enthralling cricket action with a lineup of world-class T20 talent and exciting entertainment offerings for fans from all age groups.
DP World ILT20 CEO David White said: “We are delighted to confirm the window for DP World International League T20 season three. The window has been finalized after discussions with our stakeholders. We have begun our preparations for season three with an aim of making the league even bigger and better.
“Season two was a massive success in terms of all relevant metrics and helped further strengthen the league’s reputation, making it one of the most sought after T20 leagues for players, fans and broadcasters from around the world. Having considered all aspects, the January-February window for season three has turned out to be the most suitable.
“The DP World ILT20 is also proving to be a successful platform for the development of the UAE players as seen in their recent outstanding performance in the ACC Premier Cup in Oman, which helped them qualify for the prestigious Asia Cup (2025, T20 format) for the first time in eight years. Most of the players who excelled in Oman had gained invaluable experience and exposure in season two.
“The cricket fans in the UAE and those who travel to our wonderful destinations Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from across the globe will have a lot to look forward to in season three. We have a series of exciting announcements lined up as our six world-class franchises and their coaching staff put their heads together for retention of players while eying new local and international talent for season three signings.”
Kohli knock keeps Bengaluru in the hunt
- Virat Kohli (92) rode his luck and shared two crucial partnerships with Rajat Patidar (55) and Cameron Green (46) as Bengaluru scored a big 241-7
- After Rossouw’s dismissal in the ninth over, none of the Punjab batsmen could stand up to the challenge, with the team being bowled out for 181 in 17 overs
DHARAMSALA: Virat Kohli slammed 92 to set up a 60-run win for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over Punjab Kings and keep their slim playoff hopes alive in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Kohli, 35, rode his luck and shared two crucial partnerships with Rajat Patidar (55) and Cameron Green (46) as Bengaluru scored a big 241-7 at the Dharamsala stadium.
Punjab paid the price for some sloppy fielding, dropping Kohli twice on zero and 10 off debutant seamer Vidwath Kaverappa.
Punjab suffered their eighth loss in 12 games and bowed out of the competition.
Kohli said he is always aiming to improve his game.
“I brought out the slog-sweep to the spinners. I know I can hit it as I’ve done it in the past,” he said.
“I know I need to take risks. Takes more conviction and to remove the thought ‘what if I get out?’ Means I can improve my strike rate in the middle overs.”
Punjab skipper Sam Curran said it had been a “frustrating and disappointing” end to their campaign.
“A lot of positive signs but not enough to get over the line and get the wins we needed. Gutted but lots to learn.”
Bengaluru bowler Swapnil Singh, who took two wickets, said the victory meant a lot to the side.
“Enjoyed it a lot. The ball was swinging initially, so I looked to swing it. Pressure is less when everybody is (scoring) runs. Mentally it relaxes you,” he said.
Rilee Rossouw gave Punjab a promising start, putting on 65 runs for the second wicket with Jonny Bairstow (27).
Rossouw, who belted his first half-century of the season, looked set for a bigger score but took a hit on his chin and was out the next ball off Karn Sharma for 61.
He hit three sixes and nine fours in his 27-ball innings.
After Rossouw’s dismissal in the ninth over, none of the Punjab batsmen could stand up to the challenge, with the team being bowled out for 181 in 17 overs.
Earlier, Kohli stitched a 76-run partnership with Patidar for the third wicket after Bengaluru were put in to bat.
Patidar looked in fine touch, hitting six sixes and three fours before being caught behind off Curran.
The leading run-getter of the season, Kohli went on to play some delectable shots including an imperious one-handed six over long off.
Kohli also put on 92 runs with Green but fell short of a century after he was caught at deep extra cover off Arshdeep Singh.
He smashed six sixes and seven fours during his 47-ball 92 at a strike rate of 196.
Bengaluru, who registered their fourth win in a row, saw their innings being interrupted briefly by a spell of rain and hailstorm.
