Thug ‘threatened to blow up Azeem Rafiq’s chip shop’ over racism whistleblowing

Exclusive:

A yob is understood to have gone into a fish and chip shop the former Yorkshire all-rounder owns in Barnsley last Friday night and claimed to be ready to set off a bomb

Whistleblower cricketer Azeem Rafiq faced death threats before and after he exposed racism in the game but insists he will not be silenced.

Ahead of his emotional testimony to MPs on Tuesday, the former Yorkshire all-rounder, 30, faced a ­potentially dangerous situation.

A yob is understood to have gone into the fish and chip shop he owns in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, last Friday night and claimed to be ready to set off a bomb.

Rafiq was abused face to face by the thug in the chippie about his ­exposure of racism in cricket.

The disturbing incident was reported to the police.

Do you have a story? Email [email protected].

Rafiq has left the sport in crisis after his powerful testimony lifted the lid on issues of discrimination at every level.

Rafiq told the Mirror: ­“Obviously there is a reason why people speak out and this sort of thing is the reason.

“But I am more or less in my head prepared to deal with it… if it causes the change that we have been shouting for for a long time then it will have been worth it.”

On Tuesday he explained to MPs on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee how Asian players at Yorkshire County Cricket Club were told to “sit by the toilets”, called “P**is” and “elephant washers”.

He outlined the “inhuman” treatment he received after his son was still-born in 2017 and being “ripped to shreds” by Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

And Muslim Rafiq also recalled how he was pinned down and force to drink red wine as a 15-year-old lad.

He reiterated his insistence that he would not allow his own children anywhere near English cricket – and warned parents of other Asian and black youngsters to follow suit.

He said: “I don’t want my son or daugh-ter to be in pain. As a parent there is nothing worse.

“Professional sport over the last few years has shown these people come into the game as kids and institutions mould them into these ­characters.

“I wouldn’t hand my kids over to adults who don’t know how to deal with kids.”

Rafiq now expects the floodgates to open with cases in county cricket.

He said: “You’ve got to be honest and got to come forward and get it off your chest. You will be heard.”