Racism target Azeem Rafiq apologises for anti-Semitic messages

Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq

Azeem Rafiq, a former English cricketer who this week said he had lost his career to racism, admitted Thursday he had sent anti-Semitic messages as a teenager. The Times newspaper uncovered messages sent to former Warwickshire and Leicestershire player Ateeq Javid, in which Rafiq is seen to make disparaging comments about an unnamed Jewish person.

Rafiq, tweeting about those remarks on Thursday, said: "I have gone back to check my account and it is me - I have absolutely no excuses. I am ashamed of this exchange and have now deleted it so as not to cause further offence," the Pakistan-born cricketer added. "I was 19 at the time and I hope and believe I am a different person today. I am incredibly angry at myself and I apologise to the Jewish community and everyone who is rightly offended by this."

Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl responded by saying in a statement: "Azeem Rafiq has suffered terribly at the hands of racists in cricket so he will well understand the hurt this exchange will cause to Jews who have supported him. His apology certainly seems heartfelt and we have no reason to believe he is not completely sincere." Rafiq, a Muslim, was widely praised for giving a disturbing account of the racism he suffered during two spells with Yorkshire to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, having previously said the abuse had led him to contemplate taking his own life.

Also Read: Rafiq to lawmakers: Racism in English cricket is institutional

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