LONDON: Azeem Rafiq has told the legal firm investigating his allegations of racism at Yorkshire that he was “bullied and targeted because of my race” while representing the club. Rafiq, who followed his statement by appearing before the investigation team by video link on November 13 to field questions, also claimed Asian players were sometimes referred to as “Pakis” or “elephant washers” and that he experienced non-white players being told to “go back to where you came from”. He also reiterated the claim he had previously made to media that the experience left him “feeling suicidal” and played a significant part in ending his career. His damming statement also refers to “communication” which he alleges “reflected broader conversations and club culture” which stated “only a few Pakis are okay to go through. We cannot have too many of them”. It goes on to express discomfort about the “drinking culture at the club and within cricket” and the “peer pressure to participate” amid general “insensitivity towards Muslim players and supporters”. This, Azeem says, includes “incidents of racist comments” from the team’s supporters and “incidents of alcohol being thrown at matches, including on Asian supporters, which were not investigated or properly addressed”. He claims he was “ridiculed” for not drinking and was excluded from social events as a result. He says not “becoming part of that social scene very much reflected on how I was treated in the dressing room and on the field” so he “gave into social pressure”. “It was so important to me to feel accepted, to not feel isolated, to not feel shunned, I was letting go of those values that were so important to me by consuming alcohol,” Rafiq said. “Subconsciously, I was being made to change who I was, not because it was required for me to become the best sportsman in my field… but simply for the reason of being in an environment that would not leave me isolated.” Rafiq goes on to outline examples of “racist comments” disguised as “banter” he experienced. He describes this as “constant abuse” which led him to “feel worthless and totally isolated”. He says he raised his concerns with the club but “nothing was done” to address them. “I was singled out specifically because I was Asian. It was as if I was being reprimanded for my race by engaging with white players as if to remind me that it was not my place, that I did not belong with them.” Yorkshire launched the investigation in September after Rafiq’s interview with a cricket website ESPNcricinfo. It is being run by the legal firm, Squire Patton Boggs, with a sub-committee that includes several prominent figures within the British-Asian cricket community appointed to review the information. In a statement issued on Friday, Yorkshire County Cricket Club said: “We have taken the claims made by our former player, Azeem Rafiq, very seriously and a full investigation conducted by Squire Patton Boggs, an independent law firm, began in September. We realise that that this is a difficult time for all parties involved but it is important that these matters are investigated thoroughly and swiftly. Racism has no place in our society or in cricket and we are hopeful that the outcome of this investigation and the recommendations of the panel will drive positive progress which can be shared by all.”