LONDON: Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq will appear before British lawmakers on Tuesday with the chance to give an unvarnished account of his experiences of discrimination at the club that is engulfed in a racism scandal.
An independent report found the Pakistan-born player was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying” while Rafiq himself said he had been driven to thoughts of suicide over the way he was treated.
Although the county apologized, they said they would take no disciplinary action against any staff — a decision that was met with disbelief in many quarters.
Pakistan-born Rafiq, 30, will give evidence to MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee on Tuesday without fear of repercussions under parliamentary privilege.
Azeem tweeted a short video on Monday, with the message: “Time for TRUTHS!!“
The fallout for Yorkshire — one of England’s most successful and historic clubs — has been swift and devastating.
Sponsors have pulled out and the club has been suspended from hosting lucrative international matches.
Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton quit earlier this month and chief executive Mark Arthur followed him out of the exit door as the Headingley club grappled with the fallout from the crisis.
Subsequent allegations of racism have been made by other players, setting in motion additional investigations at Yorkshire and other clubs as the scandal spreads.
Hutton will also give evidence during the session, along with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison.
On Monday, current England spinner Adil Rashid joined ex-Pakistan Test player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in alleging that former England Test captain Michael Vaughan had said in front of a group of Yorkshire players of Asian ethnicity in 2009: “Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”
Vaughan has again “categorically” denied making the comment.
“To be confronted with this allegation 11 years after it was supposed to have happened is the worst thing I have ever experienced,” he said in a statement.
Yorkshire player Rashid, who issued a statement on Monday via The Cricketer website, said the “cancer” of racism must be stamped out.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that a parliamentary committee seems to be trying to improve the situation, whether that’s holding people accountable or getting changes made at an institutional level,” he said.
New Yorkshire chairman Kamlesh Patel welcomed Rashid’s “courage in speaking up” and said he would be listening to the DCMS committee hearing with great interest.
“It is right that the issues which were initially brought up by Azeem Rafiq, and the way in which they were handled, are properly examined by the committee,” he said.
“We have provided the committee with a copy of the full report, given its legal interest in the case.”
It was still unclear on Monday afternoon who else from the Yorkshire leadership team would give evidence to the lawmakers.
Former chairman Hutton was listed to speak at 1015 GMT, after Rafiq at 0930 GMT.
Committee chairman Julian Knight pulled no punches earlier this month, saying the Yorkshire scandal was one of the “most repellent and disturbing episodes in modern cricket history.”
Rafiq says ‘time for truths’ as MPs probe cricket racism scandal
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Rafiq says ‘time for truths’ as MPs probe cricket racism scandal
- An independent report found the Pakistan-born player was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying”
- Subsequent allegations of racism have been made by other players, setting in motion additional investigations at Yorkshire
Forever Young features among strong field for Saudi Cup 2026
- Title-holder on course to clash with top-level winners from US and Japan in world’s most valuable race
RIYADH: Defending champion Forever Young heads a stellar list of names put forward for this year’s Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup, which will take place at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
The two-day meeting, which begins on Feb. 13, has attracted 57 individual thoroughbred Group or Grade 1 winners in its entirety and 14 Purebred Arabian Group 1 winners. The nominations, spread among 22 different countries, will be competing for total prize-money of almost $40 million.
Prince Bandar bin Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, said: “This is only the seventh time we have staged the Saudi Cup meeting and it has already delivered countless memorable races and performances.
“With the nominations we have received for this year, we can be sure that the spectacular racing will continue. It is wonderful to see such a collection of both familiar and new names from all around the world due to be involved at King Abdulaziz Racecourse next month.”
Officially rated the joint-top dirt horse in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, Forever Young (JPN) has been successful on both his two previous visits to Saudi Arabia, winning the 2024 Saudi Derby before his gallant performance in the world’s most valuable race last year.
Yoshito Yahagi’s superstar, last seen winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, could face a major challenge over the 1,800m from the US.
Former Classic champion White Abarrio (US) and Preakness Stakes victor Journalism (US) have been entered along with rising stars Nysos (US), the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero, and Magnitude (US), who beat a smart field in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes last time.
Further strength in depth from Japan could be added by W Heart Bond, the mare who won the recent Champions Cup, as well as Diktaean and Mikki Fight. They were first and second in the Tokyo Daishoten, the race used previously as a launchpad by Forever Young.
Sayyah (US), impressive in the recent Crown Prince Cup, and Star of Wonder (US), who claimed the King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup in late December, are among a number of promising Saudi Arabian-trained horses looking to secure a spot in the signature race.
This year’s Neom Turf Cup, sponsored by Howden, has been upgraded to Group 1 status, making it the first top-level turf race staged in the jurisdiction, and the purse has been increased to $3 million.
Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s Rebel's Romance (IRE), the winner of nine top-level races around the world and a former Breeders’ Cup title-holder, is set to extend that extraordinary record in the 2,100m showdown. The likes of Bahrain International Trophy scorer Royal Champion (IRE) and Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group 1-placed The Lion In Winter (IRE) could be up against him.
The Group 2 $2.5 million Red Sea Turf Handicap, sponsored by Longines, draws the cream of international stayers. Both Japan’s Durezza (JPN) and Joseph O’Brien’s Irish star Al-Riffa (FR) have been given entries for this race and the Neom Turf, while last year’s fourth Presage Nocturne (IRE) has improved again for Alessandro Botti.
This year’s Group 2 $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint, sponsored by SHG, could be an absolute cracker with entries headed by Jose d’Angelo’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint sensation Shisospicy (US) and Europe’s leading sprinter and Royal Ascot winner Lazzat (FR).
Similarly, the Group 2 $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint has drawn the cream of the international speedsters, including Book’em Danno and Shisospicy’s Breeders’ Cup-winning stablemate Bentornato, from the US, and two incredible talents from the UAE in Bhupat Seemar’s prolific Tuz (US) and last year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Dark Saffron (US) for Ahmad bin Harmash.
Khamal (CHI), stylish winner of the Group 1 Premio Derby Nacional in Peru in late November, is among the jet-setting entries in the Group 3 $1.5 million Saudi Derby, sponsored by Zood Realty.
The card on Friday, Feb. 13 includes the International Jockey Challenge while the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap, sponsored by Lucid, has attracted potential runners trained as far afield as Bahrain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Oman, Qatar and Spain.
There are two Group 1 races for Purebred Arabians across the weekend. The main turf event, the $1.5 million Al-Mneefah Cup, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, was taken in brave fashion in 2025 by RB Kingmaker (US) and Helal Alalawi’s grey is set for a return visit.
The $2 million Obaiyah Arabian Classic, the principal event on dirt, was won spectacularly last year by the decorated Tilal Al-Khalediah (KS), who could feature again in a strong field from around the Gulf region.
Alalawi has entered not only RB Kingmaker but HM Alchahine (FR), who was a commanding winner over his third-placed stablemate in the Group 1 HH The President Cup in Abu Dhabi last time.
“We are delighted and honored that so many people have chosen to aim their horses for the 2026 Saudi Cup races and, on behalf of everyone at the JCSA, I would like to extend our gratitude to those owners and trainers,” Prince Bandar said.
“Year-on-year, thanks to the vision of our leadership, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his royal highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince and prime minister — may God protect them — the Saudi Cup has evolved into The Kingdom’s key sporting and social event.
“It has been especially pleasing to see the races recognised by the international authorities, too. The Saudi Cup has held Group 1 status since 2022 but we will now be staging our first ever Group 1 race on grass, the Neom Turf Cup, after its consistent level of performance.
“The Saudi Cup meeting is not only about world-class racing; it is a celebration of the horse as well as the culture and the hospitality of the Kingdom. The list of nominations only increases the excitement and we look forward to welcoming connections and racing fans alike next month for an event that has quickly made a huge impact on the global calendar.”
