@Libertaire
That’s an interesting statement by Ballance. He has been careful to avoid using the word ‘banter’, while making it very clear that, in his view, that is exactly what his verbal exchanges with Rafiq were. He also insists that the pair were close friends at the time. It will be equally interesting to hear Rafiq’s side of the story, of course.
As a big cricket fan, I have not heard any rumours about Ballance being a dickhead. You would think the fact that he is also good friends with Joe Root would tell you all you need to know about him, which makes these allegations all the more surprising.
The whole thing has been handled incredibly badly by Yorkshire and those responsible for this fiasco need to resign.
On the last England tour to Australia, with Ben Stokes sitting out because of his criminal charges and Jos Buttler not selected, there was a dearth of leadership in the touring party. Jimmy Anderson ended up as the designated Vice Captain even though he has never set a field in his life, never mind led a side. It's fairly widely acknowledged that Gary Ballance was in the touring party - at Joe Root's insistence - for the leadership, stability and example he brought to the squad, even though his selection was nowhere near justified on cricketing grounds and he was never likely to actually make it on to the field. Indeed, after the Jonny Bairstow headbutting incident Ballance's name featured regularly in the aftermath as someone trying to keep heads cool, limit damage, and prevent similar things happening again.
I don't want to deify someone who is frank about his use of racist language in this situation, but Ballance's role is what makes everything so puzzling. Ballance and Rafiq were by all accounts very close friends, close enough that Ballance invited Rafiq and his bowling coach to his parents' home in Zimbabwe. It doesn't add up. I don't know if Ballance is a closet racist, but that fits with nothing I do know about him.
I also don't know whether Ballance is being lined up as a fall guy, but the peak of his career is probably behind him, he's not a true Yorkshireman either, and it's a theory that happens to fit what we do know and might reasonably infer from what's been revealed so far.
Nobody in or near cricket seems to think Yorkshire doesn't have a serious problem with race, or internal management and governance. It will be interesting to see what comes out.
It's also worth noting that cricket is one sport which is becoming distinctly less representative over the years. Asians make up nearly 40% of recreational players but just 4% of professional players. In the Eighties and Nineties black English cricketers were, if not common, at least not unusual, but the number of black professionals in the sport has fallen by 75% in 30 years. It is now also very unusual for anyone who is not from an already cricketing family or a Public School to go anywhere near the club system which feeds the counties. The game is virtually extinct in state schools.