After Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq’s claims of racial discrimination, Asian background umpires in UK are up in arms over lack of appointments which they feel is because of their skin colour
Umpire Ismail Dawood signals a wide during the one-day match between The Kent Spitfires and Sri Lanka at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, in 2014. Pic/Getty Images
The whole world witnessed how cricketers across the countries have been taking the knee to show their support for Black Lives Matter movement during the T20 World Cup held in UAE recently.
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However, it seems the crisis still sticks with England, who invented the game of cricket in the 16th century. Former first-class cricketers and international umpires have called for accountability from the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB). This comes at a time when English cricket is in the throes of controversy surrounding Karachi-born Azeem Rafiq’s claims that he was a victim of racial slurs and discrimination.
Yorkshire-born England U-19 wicketkeeper-batsman and first-class cricketer-turned-county umpire, Ismail Dawood, 45, has raised some serious concerns even in the field of umpiring. “In my opinion it is because we are looked upon as sub-human compared to our white counterparts. White umpires have always been given preferential treatment. White umpires have been fast tracked for decades, with the ECB accepting that the correct procedures have not been followed. If that is the case, then where is the accountability?” asked Dawood.
Sussex-based former Tripura cricketer, Raj Chaudhuri
Dawood represented the England U-19 team against India in 1994 and versus West Indies and South Africa in 1995. He represented Northamptonshire, Worcestershire, Glamorgan and Yorkshire from 1993 to 2005 scoring 1,122 first-class runs from 39 games and had 100 victims to his name behind the wickets.
Selected selection
Dawood, who umpired 16 first-class matches as well as in two women’s one-day internationals, added: “The ECB hasn’t employed a non-white umpire for 29 years. I think that tells a story, considering the number of people from a non-white background who have wanted to officiate at the highest level.”
Former Hampshire seamer John Holder, 76, who officiated in 11 Tests and 23 ODIs (including the 1989-90 India v Pakistan series where Sachin Tendulkar made his debut), pointed to the main cause:
“It is not just Indian umpires who have been overlooked. Up to the end of the 2020 season, no non-white umpires were employed by the ECB. Only whites had been taken on and were specially chosen by Mr Chris Kelly [Umpires Manager at the Cricket Operations Department]. The last non-white umpire to be employed by the ECB was Vanburn Holder, the former Barbados, West Indies and Worcestershire fast bowler,” Holder remarked. “In 2005, Devon Malcolm [former England pacer] applied to become a county umpire but was told there were no vacancies. Yet, white umpires were taken on.
‘Racist policy’
“Former Indian first-class cricketer Raj [Rajarshi] Chaudhuri told me that he asked an ECB official if he could be put on the Board’s fast track umpires scheme. He was refused and told that the scheme is solely for former first-class players from England and Australia who had played first-class cricket in those countries. This was clearly to keep the ECB’s first-class panel all-white. In my opinion, the ECB has deliberately adopted a racist policy by rejecting all non-white applicants to the first-class panel,” Holder alleged.
Chaudhuri, 50, a former Tripura and East Zone cricketer scored 1,288 runs from 25 first-class games across 1989-90 and 2000-01. He also played Premier League cricket in the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh and became an ECB Level 2 umpire.
“Although there was a fast track system for former first-class players in place, I was denied as I had played my first-class cricket in India. When that happened I realised there was no point in wasting my time and gave up umpiring and concentrated on coaching at my academy called First Class Cricket Academy in Sussex and Worth School,” said Chaudhuri, who moved to the UK in 2002. Emails sent to ECB’s head of first-class cricket Alan Fordham and Kelly regarding racist alleged claims were unanswered.
Holder: We are branded as troublemakers if we object to sarcastic comments
Former international umpire John Holder pointed to the root cause of concern and explained why racism still continues in some parts of the world. “Racism is the feeling of superiority by one race over another and white people are the main culprits. Many of them feel that they are superior in all respects to non-whites and basically that we do not have the same feelings and aspirations as them. As a result, they make sarcastic comments, which they feel we should accept. And if we object, we are branded as troublemakers who are unable to take a joke,” Holder remarked.
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