Former player Sharif makes Essex racism allegations

Former Essex cricketer Zoheb Sharif has alleged he suffered racist abuse during his time playing for the club.

Essex chief executive John Stephenson said on Saturday he was “extremely shocked and saddened” to hear of historical racial allegations involving an ex-player, dating back to 2001.

Sharif, now 38, began playing for Essex aged eight and went on to play in four first-team matches following his first-class debut in 2001.

“It was a day after the September 11 attacks. People started calling me Bomber,” Sharif told The Mirror.

“I didn’t say anything at the time. I was a teenager in a dressing room with big characters. To them it was banter. To me it wasn’t, but you don’t want to do anything to block your chance of getting into the first team.”

Essex said on Saturday they are encouraging former players, staff or anybody associated with the club to come forward either in person or anonymously if they had experienced discrimination.

Essex chief executive John Stephenson said in a statement: “I am extremely shocked and saddened to hear of historic racial allegations involving a former player, dating back to 2001. There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind at Essex County Cricket Club and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism.

“I immediately reached out to the former player to offer him my and Essex County Cricket Club’s full support and to encourage him to come forward and talk to myself and the Club about his experiences.

“We will put the right care in place for him and we applaud his bravery and courage for speaking out on such a sensitive issue after all these years.

“As Chief Executive, I am committed to upholding the Club’s multicultural and diverse values. All allegations, regardless of when they took place, will be investigated thoroughly and urgently. We are working with the ECB to assist us with these investigations.

“There has never been a place, nor will there ever be a place, for any kind of prejudice at Essex County Cricket Club.”

Sky Sports have contacted Essex for comment.

On Friday, Essex chairman John Faragher resigned following a historical allegation he used racist language at a board meeting in 2017.

The allegations by Sharif come in the wake of a racism scandal at Yorkshire that has engulfed cricket.

A report found former player Azeem Rafiq was a victim of “racial harassment and bullying” at Yorkshire but the club said it would not discipline anyone.

Yorkshire have been widely criticised, with the England and Wales Cricket Board suspending its right to host international matches and other major games, while several sponsors have ended their association.

Chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur are among several senior club figures at Yorkshire to have resigned.

Sharif, who was born in East London to parents from Pakistan, said he could see “many parallels” between the Rafiq case at Yorkshire and what he had been through.

“Azeem has shone a light on what’s been going on,” said Sharif.

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