Cheteshwar Pujara’s county stint with Yorkshire has come under the scanner as the club battles serious charges of ‘insitutional racism’. In a revelation by former Yorkshire players and employees, the club’s reputation has taken a serious battering with many instances of either casual or institutional racism. Recently, in an interaction with ESPNCricinfo, two former Yorkshire employees -- Taj Butt and Tony Bowry -- have also given evidence against the club which has institutionalised racism. In that interation, Taj Butt took the name of Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian cricket team batsman who is one of the key players for the side in Tests.
“There were continuous references to taxi drivers and restaurant workers when referring to (the) Asian community. They called every person of colour 'Steve'. Even Cheteshwar Pujara, who joined as an overseas professional, was called Steve because they could not pronounce his name. Many youngsters struggled to make progress. They found the environment of the dressing rooms very difficult and unwelcoming due to the direct result of racism they faced,” Butt said.
When Shane Warne and former England skipper Michael Vaughan also appreciated Cheteshwar Pujara’s century in the County circuit in 2018, they also called him Steve, highlighting that the club could not pronounce his first name.
Serious charges against Yorkshire
The club, who are considered one of the most prominent sides in the English County circuit, are facing plenty of fire after cricketer Azeem Rafiq claimed of "institutional racism" at the club. Former West Indies international Tino Best and Pakistan's Rana Naved-ul-Hasan provided evidence in support of Rafiq as part of an ongoing investigation into his allegations.
Former off-spinner Rafiq left Yorkshire in 2018 and admitted he had been close to committing suicide after what he experienced. During an interview by the independent investigating team last month, he said that he had been "bullied and targeted because of my race".
Tino Best, the former West Indies fast bowler who played at the club in 2010, and Rana Naved, the former Pakistan seamer who joined as an overseas player between 2008 and 2009, also supported Rafiq. In a statement, Rana said he agreed with "each and every statement of Azeem" and that "many Asian players were affected by their (Yorkshire's) bad attitude". After the revelations by Rafiq, Yorkshire announced that they will initiate measures to tackle discrimination and boost inclusion in the club, including appointing a head of equality.
