- Root says he cannot recall abuse Rafiq says he suffered at county
- ‘Disappointed is not even the feeling,’ says former teammate
- Mark Arthur resigns as chief executive at Yorkshire
Azeem Rafiq has described himself as “incredibly hurt” after Joe Root said he has not been witness to any instances of racism during his 14 years at Yorkshire.
On Thursday England’s Test captain broke his silence on the continuing scandal hours before Mark Arthur confirmed his resignation as chief executive. Issuing a statement from his team’s pre-Ashes quarantine camp in Queensland, Root described racism as “intolerable” and called for change in the sport. However, in a follow-up press conference – one in which questions on specific allegations were barred – Root was asked three times whether he could remember any of the abuse that Rafiq has alleged was widespread during his two spells in the Yorkshire dressing room from 2008 to 2018. “Not that I can recall, no I can’t,” he replied.
