the former england international cricketer gary ballance says he "regrets" using a racial slur againstallance admitted he was responsible for some of the terms rafiq was subjected to while at the club. several sponsors have terminated relationships with yorkshire — over its response to findings of racism and bullying. our sports editor dan roan reports from headingley. it's the most successful club in the history of county cricket, but yorkshire is now engulfed in a racism scandal centred on former player azeem rafiq. an independent panel found the spin bowler had been the victim of racial harassment and bullying while at the club. yorkshire apologised, but took no action against any member of staff, and political pressure has been intensifying. what we've read is deeply shocking and one of the most disturbing events in modern cricket history, in my view. i can think of very few reasons why the board of yorkshire cricket club should remain in place. after a leak of the investigation�*s findings, it emerged that a current yorkshire player repeatedly used a racially offensive term toward

and gary ballance will also be suspended from england selection. fans following will know that he has not been selected for england since 2017, but the ecb said they needed to take immediate action now. and also it is worth noting... action now. and also it is worth notina...~ . action now. and also it is worth noting- - -_ action now. and also it is worth notinm. ., . , , noting... what have people been sa in: noting... what have people been saying around — noting... what have people been saying around the _ noting... what have people been saying around the club _ noting... what have people been saying around the club today? i l saying around the club today? i think there are concerns about the damage this could do to the game more widely. 0f damage this could do to the game more widely. of course there has been a lot of work done in recent years to try to promote inclusivity and diversity in the game, and there are concerns that this will lead to are concerns that this will lead to a major backward step and that trust will need to be rebuilt amon

but the spotlight has also turned on the former england test cricketer gary ballance, who released a his time here. gary ballance, who was only recently awarded a contract extension by yorkshire, said he deeply regrets using a racial slur but said he didn't believe it had caused rafik distress. he said it was part of immature exchanges between team—mates. rafik responded saying his grievances are not to do with the words of certain individuals but more institutional racism here. there hasn't been a comment from yorkshire this week but the board is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow. rafik isn't the only one believing that this scandal must bring about significant change. laurie scott, thank you, at headingley. the periods of lockdown for those who were shielding and unable to leave their homes meant months of loneliness for many people across the country. but one widower says she was kept going by her "wonderful" four—year—old pen pal. after 18 months of exchanging letters, the two have finally met in person. our reporter luxmy gopal was there to hear their story. lesley is travel

last night gary ballance admitted to using a racial slur against azeem rafiq, something he said he deeply't think it would cause azeem rafiq distress. azeem rafiq responded on social media this morning and said his grievance wasn't to do with the words of certain individuals but rather what he regarded as institutional racism and its abject failures to tackle it. in the last hour, the england and wales cricket board described the handling of the matter is wholly unacceptable. they said the matter was apparent and against the spirit of cricket. the governing body has threatened financial sanctions but it's already suspending yorkshire from hosting major matches and suspended gary ballance from england selection. yorkshire county cricket club have not commented this week but an emergency board meeting will be held tomorrow amid mounting pressure on those in charge. tomorrow amid mounting pressure on those in charge-— the bank of england has kept interest rates at the historic low of 0.1%, but warned that we should expect rates to rise towards 1% in the coming months. the warning came as inf

in a lengthy and emotional statement, gary ballance said he was responsible for some of the offensive was subjected to. ballance said... manu tuilagi will make his first england appearance since march 2020 against tonga at twickenham on saturday, for england's autumn series opener. centre tuilagi was called into the england camp over the summer, but had to withdraw because of a hamstring issue. he's spent long periods on the sidelines with injuries, including eight months out with a torn achilles, repeated groin injuries and knee ligament damage. captain 0wen farrell will start at fly—half. the team announcement was delayed because a member of support staff had tested positive for covid—i9. wales have also named their team for the match against south africa. ellisjenkins will make his first appearance in three years on saturday at the principality stadium. the cardiff flanker is one of six changes from last weekend's 54—16 defeat against new zealand. details of both squads are on the bbc sport website. tottenham begin a new era tonight with newly appointed manager antonio conte in the

is gary ballance the only member of staff that there has been an allegation upheld against?ld against? no. former england _ allegation upheld against? firm former england captain allegation upheld against? i157. former england captain michael bourne has become the second player to reveal he is named in the report. rafiq alleging he made a racist comment towards a group of asian players in 2009, michael vaughan denies the claim, but today one of those player said he had heard the alleged comment. a prominent pundit, tonight he was stood down from his radio show next week. in a statement, a bbc spokesman said it takes any allegations of racism extremely seriously. the allegation against michael vaughan predates his time working for the bbc. we have made the editorial decision that michael will not appear on the show on monday. the show focuses on topical discussion around current cricketing matters and given his involvement we need to maintain impartiality on the programme. it comes at a time when cricket is desperate to try to engage with the south asian community and become

the former england cricketer gary ballance say�*s he regrets using racist language against his yorkshireeammate azeem rafiq, as the row over rafiq's treatment at yorkshire county cricket club causes major sponsors to pull out. good morning. lots and i saw the northern lights last night. seems we have clear skies to start the day. a chilly start, frosty full sun. sunshine and showers on the coast. more details later in the programme. it's thursday, the 4th of november. the first major study looking at the effectiveness of the hpv vaccine has shown it's reducing cases of cervical cancer by almost 90%. cancer research uk has described the findings as "historic," and it's hoped that vaccination could almost eliminate the disease in future. here's more from our health correspondent dominic hughes. almost all cases of cervical cancer are linked to the human papillomavirus. the hpv vaccine programme targeting the virus itself was introduced in the uk in 2008, when girls aged between 11 and 13 were first offered the jab. and since september 29th, boys of the same age —— and since september 2019,

their batsman, meanwhile, gary ballance, he's been handed an indefinite international ban by the ecbyer admitted they were named in the report. former england captain and prominent pundit michael vaughn saying that he had been accused by rafiq of in 2009, using and making a racist comment towards him and two other asian players. he categorically denies the allegation, he says. meanwhile, tomorrow, the board here at yorkshire will hold an emergency meeting and i have learned that a number of those board members are now preparing to announce the resignation as the fallout continues. that's all for now — goodbye. hello there. after the rather chilly conditions of the last few days, things are going to feel a little bit different as we head towards the weekend. some milder weather in the forecast, but with that quite a lot of cloud feeding and from the west. and for some of us through the weekend there is some wet and windy weather on the way. this warm front has been working its way south and east and is introducing more in the way of cloud, but also introducing a westerly wind, so that

rafiq claimed former team—mate gary ballance used the name "kevin" as a derogatory term to refer to any this was an open secret in the england dressing room. that another england star, alex hales, called his dog kevin because he was black. "a disgusting joke," rafiq called it. and what of yorkshire's england captain, joe root, who last week said he couldn't recall any racist behaviour at the club? he's never engaged in racist language. i do...i found it hurtful. rooty was involved, before he started playing for england, he was involved in a lot of the socialising nights out where i'm being called a expletive. but, again, itjust shows, and he might not remember it, but itjust shows how normal it was in that environment, in that institution. rafiq also asked about former england captain michael vaughan, who strongly denied the whistle—blower�*s claims, since corroborated by two other cricketers, that he made a racist remark to a group of asian players. he said this yesterday, actually, that his reputation is being "trashed unfairly." what's your reaction to that? i think it's important, o

rafiq claimed former team—mate gary ballance used the name "kevin" as a derogatory term to refer to anyour and that this was an open secret in the england dressing room. that another england star, alex hales, called his dog kevin because he was black. "a disgusting joke," rafiq called it. and what of yorkshire's england captain, joe root, who last week said he couldn't recall any racist behaviour at the club? he's never engaged in racist language. ido... i found it hurtful. rooty was involved, before he started playing for england, he was involved in a lot of the socialising nights out where i'm bein: called - but, again, itjust shows, and he might not remember it, but itjust shows how normal it was in that environment, in that institution. rafiq also asked about former england captain michael vaughan, who strongly denied the whistle—blower�*s claims, since corroborated by two other cricketers, that he made a racist remark to a group of asian players. he said this yesterday, actually, that his reputation is being "trashed unfairly." what's your reaction to that? i think it's important,

their batsman, meanwhile, gary ballance, he's been handed an indefinite international ban by the ecb a second former yorkshire player admitted they were named in the report. former england captain and prominent pundit michael vaughn saying that he had been accused by rafiq of in 2009, using and making a racist comment towards him and two other asian players. he categorically denies the allegation, he says. meanwhile, tomorrow, the board here at yorkshire will hold an emergency meeting and i have learned that a number of those board members are now preparing to announce the resignation as the fallout continues. before we go let's bring you this story from italy where one nativity scene this year is extremely topical. craftsmen in italy have given the three kings something else to carry when they visit babyjesus. yes, a covid vaccination certificate, as well the gold, frankincence and myrrh. since each king has a covid pass, entering the manger doesn't present any issues. artists in naples create diferent nativity scenes each year to reflect the times — in 2020, the wise men wore masks

tonight, after mounting speculation, former england star gary ballance revealed he was the player concernedok place, but at no time did i believe or understand that it had caused rafa distress. if i had believed that, then i would have stopped immediately. he was my best mate in cricket and i cared deeply for him. i'm aware of how hurtful the racial slur is, and i regret that i used this word in immature exchanges in my younger years, and i am sure rafa feels the same about some of the things he said to me as well. earlier, on a dramatic day, a host of yorkshire's sponsors ended their partnerships with the club, as the fall out continued. emerald publishing, which has the naming rights to headingley, yorkshire tea, local brewer tetleys and leisure club operator david lloyd all turning their back on the beleaguered county. it's over a year since rafiq alleged institutional racism. playing professional cricket for yorkshire should be the best time of your life. unfortunately for me, it wasn't. now, with the ecb launching their own investigation, the crisis threatens to undermine the wider gam

yorkshire batsman gary ballance had admitted repeatedly using a racial slur towards rafiq about his pakistanien against any member of staff, sparking outrage. do you accept that conclusion that they reached? that it was friendly banter? is that how you would deem that expression, that phrase, towards a colleague? no, if you are using that language, it is completely unacceptable... so why was there no action taken? because you have not seen the context of the whole of the report — and the club had legal advice that actually, that was not something that you could take disciplinary action in relation to. is ballance the only current member of staff that there has been an allegation upheld against? no. former england captain michael vaughan, meanwhile, has become the second player to reveal he is named in the report; rafiq alleging that he had made a racist comment towards a group of asian players in 2009. vaughan denies the claim but today, one of those players said he had heard the alleged comment. a prominent pundit, tonight he was stood down from his radio show next week. in a statement, a bb

tonight, after mounting speculation, former england star gary ballance revealed he was the player concernedyorkshire's sponsors ended their partnerships with the club, as the fall out continued. emerald publishing, which has the naming rights to headingley, yorkshire tea, local brewer tetleys and leisure club operator david lloyd all turning their back on the beleaguered county. it's over a year since rafiq alleged institutional racism. playing professional cricket for yorkshire should be the best time of your life. unfortunately for me, it wasn't. now, with the ecb launching their own investigation, the crisis threatens to undermine the wider game's efforts to tackle discrimination in the sport. our sports editor dan roan, reporting. australian police have released pictures of the moment a 4 year old girl — was found alive and well — more than two weeks after she went missing. cleo smith disappeared from a tent she was sleeping in with herfamily, on a remote campsite in western australia. police found her, locked in a house in her home town. a 36—year—old man, is in custody, and being ques

gary ballance, their batsman has been handed a ban after he admitted using a racial slur against rafiqying that he had been accused by rafiq of in 2009 using, making a racist comment towards him and two other asian players. he denies that allegation, he says. tomorrow, the board here at yorkshire will hold an emergency meets and i have learned that a number of the board members are preparing to announce their resignation, as the fallout continues.— the bank of england has kept interest rates at the historic low of 0.1%, but warned that we should expect rates to rise towards 1% in the coming months. the warning came as inflation — the rise in price of goods and services we buy — is on track to be more than 5% by next spring. our economics editor faisal islam reports. the economic picture is not as transparent as the main manufacture of clayton glass in county durham. what is crystal clear is that inflation is everywhere — in the wiring, in the packaging, and here at least in the wage packets. all the gas—related price rises have come through in raw glass to us, circa 30%. drivers' wages

tonight, after mounting speculation, former england star gary ballance revealed he was the player concernedir partnerships with the club, as the fall out continued. emerald publishing, which has the naming rights to headingley, yorkshire tea, local brewer tetleys and leisure club operator david lloyd all turning their back on the beleaguered county. it's over a year since rafiq alleged institutional racism. playing professional cricket for yorkshire should be the best time of your life. unfortunately for me, it wasn't. now, with the ecb launching their own investigation, the crisis threatens to undermine the wider game's efforts to tackle discrimination in the sport. and before we go — diwali, the five—day festival of lights is currently being celebrated by millions of hindus, sikhs and jains across the world. thursday is the main day of celebrations. you won't have to look far to see houses, shops and public places decorated with small oil lamps called diyas. people are also enjoying fireworks and sweets too. each religion marks different historical events and stories, hello. a chillier fe

tonight, after mounting speculation, former england star gary ballance revealed he was the player concernednsors ended their partnerships with the club, as the fall out continued. emerald publishing, which has the naming rights to headingley, yorkshire tea, local brewer tetleys and leisure club operator david lloyd all turning their back on the beleaguered county. it's over a year since rafiq alleged institutional racism. playing professional cricket for yorkshire should be the best time of your life. unfortunately for me, it wasn't. now, with the ecb launching their own investigation, the crisis threatens to undermine the wider game's efforts to tackle discrimination in the sport. our sports editor, dan roan, reporting. joe exotic became a household name in march 2020 after the netflix docu—series, tiger king became a cultural phenomenon. he's currently serving a 22—year prison sentence after being found guilty of multiple charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire. on wednesday, joe exotic, took to social media announcing a biopsy has revealed he's suffering from

its main picture is of the cricketer gary ballance — involved in a racism row.the lead in the yorkshire post — which reports that some of the county cricket club's sponsors are distancing themselves from the brand. the owen paterson story is the lead in the i paper — it says the tories have torn up the anti—sleaze laws to "save" their colleague. and there is a similar take in the guardian — though it also notes that "scores of tory mps" didn't back the prime minister — on what it describes as a "day of extraordinary drama" in westminster. the ft leads on a us story — saying the fed is going to start scaling back its stimulus programme as the us economy recovers from covid. it also reports the bank of england is expected to raise interest rates for the first time since 2018. so, let's begin. we will look to begin with the owen patterson story in the metro newspaper which is the headline, a rather memorable headline, the sleazy way out. shifting the goal to block scandals and x and p ministered to thousands of pounds a year to rally for two private firms and he sa

tonight, after mounting speculation, former england star gary ballance revealed he was the player concernedce, but at no time did i believe or understand that it had caused rafa distress. if i had believed that, then i would have stopped immediately. he was my best mate in cricket and i cared deeply for him. i'm aware of how hurtful the racial slur is, and i regret that i used this word in immature exchanges in my younger years, and i am sure rafa feels the same about some of the things he said to me as well. earlier, on a dramatic day, a host of yorkshire's sponsors ended their partnerships with the club, as the fall out continued. emerald publishing, which has the naming rights to headingley, yorkshire tea, local brewer tetleys and leisure club operator david lloyd all turning their back on the beleaguered county. it's over a year since rafiq alleged institutional racism. playing professional cricket for yorkshire should be the best time of your life. unfortunately for me, it wasn't. now, with the ecb launching their own investigation, the crisis threatens to undermine the wider game's ef

yorkshire batsman gary ballance had admitted repeatedly using a racial slur towards rafiq about his pakistanianel regarded it as friendly banter and no action has been taken against any member of staff, sparking outrage. do you accept that conclusion that they reached? that it was friendly banter? is that how you would deem that expression, that phrase, towards a colleague? if you are using that language, it is completely unacceptable. so why was there not action taken? because you have not seen the context of the whole of the report and the club had legal advice that actually that was not something that you could take disciplinary action in relation to. is ballance the only current member of staff that there has been an allegation upheld against? no. former england captain michael vaughan, meanwhile, has become the second player to reveal he is named in the report, rafiq alleging that he had made a racist comment towards a group of asian players in 2009. vaughan denies the claim, but today one of those players said he had heard the alleged comment. a prominent pundit, tonight he was stood do

rafiq claimed former team—mate gary ballance used the name "kevin" as a derogatory term to refer to anyd that this was an open secret in the england dressing room. and that another england star, alex hales, called his dog kevin because he was black. "a disgusting joke," rafiq called it. and what of yorkshire's england captain, joe root, who last week said he couldn't recall any racist behaviour at the club? he's never engaged in racist language. ido... i found it hurtful. rooty was involved, before he started playing for england, he was involved in a lot of the socialising nights out where i'm being called a expletive. but, again, itjust shows, and he might not remember it, but itjust shows how normal it was in that environment, in that institution. rafiq was also asked about former england captain michael vaughan, who strongly denied the whistle—blower�*s claims, since corroborated by two other cricketers, that he made a racist remark to a group of asian players. he said this yesterday, actually, that his reputation is being "trashed unfairly." what's your reaction to that? i think it'

their batsman, meanwhile, gary ballance, he's been handed an indefinite international ban by the ecb second former yorkshire player admitted they were named in the report. former england captain and prominent pundit michael vaughn saying that he had been accused by rafiq of in 2009, using and making a racist comment towards him and two other asian players. he categorically denies the allegation, he says. meanwhile, tomorrow, the board here at yorkshire will hold an emergency meeting and i have learned that a number of those board members are now preparing to announce the resignation as the fallout continues. there is much more on that and all our stories there is much more on that and all our stories on there is much more on that and all our stories on the there is much more on that and all our stories on the bbc there is much more on that and all our stories on the bbc news website and of course you can download the bbc news app. you can reach me on twitter, i'm @richpreston. thank you very much for being with us, from me and the team, goodbye for now. hello there. after the rather

and former england cricketer gary ballance says he regrets using racist language against his former yorkshiremate azeem rafiq. good morning and welcome to bbc news. scientists researching the effectiveness of the hpv vaccine have produced the first major study which they say shows that it's reducing rates of cervical cancer by almost 90% in some age groups. one of the lead researchers has described the impact of the uk vaccination programme as �*huge�*. the charity, cancer research uk, says the findings are �*historic�*. here's more from our health correspondent dominic hughes. almost all cases of cervical cancer are linked to the human papillomavirus. the hpv vaccine programme targeting the virus itself was introduced in the uk in 2008, when girls aged between 11 and 13 were first offered the jab. and since september 2019, boys of the same age have also been eligible. now, the first real world study of the vaccine shows it's had a dramatic effect. cervical cancer rates were 87% lower in girls who were offered the vaccine when aged 12 and 13. it's estimated that by mid—2019, the hpvjab progra

gary ballance says he regret it using a racial slur.n indefinitely. the former england captain michael vaughan says he was also named in the report for allegedly telling a group of asian players including azeem rafiq that there were too many of you lot. he wrote back... the club has been suspended from hosting international matches by the england and wales cricket ball for what it calls the unacceptable handling of the azeem rafiq racism claims. it of the azeem rafiq racism claims. , ., ., claims. it is important that the ecb sends _ claims. it is important that the ecb sends a _ claims. it is important that the ecb sends a message | claims. it is important that l the ecb sends a message to cricket fans across this country that we will not stand for this, that racism and anything to do with racism and discrimination of any kind has absolutely no place in the game. absolutely no place in the name. . , , ' game. the club will suffer financially _ game. the club will suffer financially but _ game. the club will suffer financially but the -

the former england cricketer gary ballance say�*s he regrets

yorkshire's gary ballance was also suspended from england selection after he admitted to using a racialave had concerns about the manner in which decisions are made, and it's very clear that given the conclusion of the investigation and the subsequent action that's been taken in respect of disciplinary action to those implicated, it's very clear that there has been a lack of realisation of the seriousness of the issue and the implications for the wider game. again, the board have felt compelled to take this action. the again, the board have felt compelled to take this action.— to take this action. the racism scandal here _ to take this action. the racism scandal here has _ to take this action. the racism scandal here has led - to take this action. the racism scandal here has led to - to take this action. the racism scandal here has led to a - to take this action. the racism - scandal here has led to a commercial catastrophe with a long list of sponsors cutting ties with the club, among them the stadium sponsor emerald, the kit supplier nike and household brands like yorkshire tea. the c

rafiq claimed former team—mate gary ballance used the name kevin as a derogatory term to refer to anyr and that this was an open secret in the england dressing room. that another england star, alex hales, called his dog kevin because he was black. a disgusting joke, rafiq called it. and what of yorkshire's england captain, joe root, who last week said he couldn't recall any racist behaviour at the club. he never engaged in racist language. ido... i found it hurtful. rooty was involved, before he started playing for england, he was involved in a lot of the socialising nights out where i was being called a expletive. but, again, itjust shows, and he might not remember it, but itjust shows how normal it was in that environment, in that institution. rafiq also asked about former england captain michael vaughan, who strongly denied the whistle—blower�*s claims, since corroborated by two other cricketers, that he made a racist remark to a group of asian players. he said this yesterday, actually, that his reputation is being trashed unfairly. what's your reaction to that? i think it's import

roger hutton said today is that he did acknowledge that there are other current players other than gary ballanceainst azeem rafiq, who have had allegations against them upheld. there are still yet more to come packed in the coming days and weeks ahead before yorkshire can move on. . ~' weeks ahead before yorkshire can move on. ., ~ i. weeks ahead before yorkshire can move on. . ~ ,, . weeks ahead before yorkshire can move on. ., ~ . ., ., move on. thank you so much for that u date. move on. thank you so much for that undate- there's _ move on. thank you so much for that update. there's more _ move on. thank you so much for that update. there's more from _ move on. thank you so much for that update. there's more from that - update. there's more from that interview with roger hutton on bbc sport website. in the t20 world cup, scotland lost by eight wickets to india in group 2. they were already out of the tournament, but that didn't stop them from relishing this occasion. george munsey showed some flair, but could only manage 2a runs as they set india the target of 86. well, they reached that quic

if you are specifically talking about gary ballance, — are specifically talking about gary ballance, u were chair at the time. there were a host of recommendations that have not been _ of recommendations that have not been put _ of recommendations that have not been put in place as yet.— been put in place as yet. there is some latitude _ been put in place as yet. there is some latitude to _ been put in place as yet. there is some latitude to be _ been put in place as yet. there is some latitude to be had - been put in place as yet. there is some latitude to be had with - been put in place as yet. there is some latitude to be had with the| some latitude to be had with the fact that this was in 2020, but it is very clear, a player calling another player a p, and they talk about education and training as recommended by the lawyers, i find it staggering that you did not follow through on that. did you talk to moxon and arthur, was it so toxic in the yorkshire boardroom that this kind of thing wasn't discussed? it kind of thing wasn't discussed? it wasn't so toxic but it was hard to -et wa

this week, yorkshire batsman gary ballance said he regretted using a racial slur during conversationseammate. he's been suspended from england selection indefinitely. now, the former england captain michael vaughan says he, too, was named in the report for allegedly telling a group of asian players, including rafiq, in 2009, that there "were too many of you lot". but in his daily telegraph column, vaughan writes, "this hit me very hard. it was like being struck over the head with a brick. i have been involved in cricket for 30 years, and never once been accused of any remotely similar incident or disciplinary offence as a player or commentator. i completely and categorically deny that i ever said those words." the club has been suspended from hosting international matches by the england and wales cricket board for what it calls the "wholly unacceptable handling" of azeem rafiq's racism claims. it's really important that the ecb sends a message to cricket fans across this country that we will not stand for this. that racism, and anything to do with racism and discrimination of any kind

in a lengthy and emotional statement, gary ballance said he was responsible for some of the offensiveland cricketer monty panasar says yorkshire may not have taken this as seriously as they should have. yorkshire possibly didn't really understand the context of this, you know, situation, the allegations that raqfiq made and when you get companies with driving, government putting pressure, may they'll understand, you know, that actually these racial slurs should have been taken, you know, a bit more seriously than they had done. liverpool are into the knockout stages of the champions league after beating atletico madrid. the last time they lost a match was in april. an early goalfrom diogojota put them ahead, before sadio mane sealed the victory eight minutes later. it means liverpool win their group convincingly with 2 games to spare. it was a good tyre performance and incredible group stage so far. i wouldn't have expected it, obviously, when i saw the draw. no one would have expected that. doing thatis one would have expected that. doing that is pretty special so for tonightjob done

yorkshire's gary ballance was also suspended from england selection after he admitted to using a racialt's been clear that throughout this investigation, we've had concerns about the manner in which decisions are made, and it's very clear that given the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent action that's been taken — and respective disciplinary action to those implicated — it's very clear that there has been a lack of realisation of the seriousness of the issue and the implications for the wider game. so, again, the board have felt compelled to take this action. the racism scandal here has led to a commercial catastrophe, with a long list of sponsors cutting ties with the club — among them the stadium sponsor, emerald, the kit supplier nike, and household brands like yorkshire tea. the concerns over the culture at the club extend beyond those with their names on the wall, and to those who might be coming through these gates. one localfather told us he'd no longer be sending his two young sons to coaching sessions at headingley. i don't think it's a safe organisation for my chil

he criticised a number of his ex team—mates and said the former england player gary ballance had usedcknames to describe non—white players and said it was completely wrong for the former england and yorkshire captain michael vaughan to have used his platform as a national newspaper columnist to deny an allegation rafiq made that in 2009 he had told a group of asian players, too many of you lot, we need to do something about it. he also condemned the actions by organisations, describing the players union as inept and saying the england and wales cricket board had to stop palming the problem off. he said last winter he begged both bodies to intervene in yorkshire's investigation but neither did. during what at times was an emotional evidence session he said he wasn't sure if he was brave or stupid to stand up to the institution but said all he had ever wanted was acceptance, to make sure his kids didn't go through the same experiences and to give a voice to the voiceless. after the harrowing evidence from the azeem rafiq he was followed by the azeem rafiq he was followed by the former c

this week, gary ballance said he regretted using a racial slur during conversations with his ex team—mateded from england selection indefinitely. now, the former england captain michael vaughan says he, too, was named in the report for allegedly telling a group of asian players, including rafiq, in 2009, that there "were too many of you lot". but in his daily telegraph column, vaughan writes, "this hit me very hard. the club has been suspended from hosting international matches by the england and wales cricket board for what it calls the "wholly unacceptable handling" of azeem rafiq's racism claims. it's really important that the ecb sends a message to cricket fans across this country that we will not stand for this. that racism, and anything to do with racism and discrimination of any kind, has absolutely no place in the game. the departing chairman is calling for more people to go, and says he looks forward to the day when yorkshire cricket club is a great club again. former cricketer mark ramprakash told bbc breakfast that the latest developments have forced yorkshire county cricket cl