Yorkshire CCC reproduce “intimidating” letter sent to Azeem Rafiq’s publishers

The club has reproduced the letter sent by its lawyers to Orion Publishing Group on February 15 after John Nicolson MP suggested that they had threatened the former player over its contents.

It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism: What Cricket’s Dirty Secret Reveals About Our Society, by Rafiq and the journalist George Dobell, is due to be released on April 25.

At a hearing of the Culture, Media & Sport (CMS) select committee on February 20, it was put to Colin Graves, the Yorkshire chairman, that the club had menaced Rafiq with a legal letter.

“What was the tone of the letter that you sent?” asked Nicolson.

“It was a very soft tone, just asking for a copy of the book,” replied Graves.

“I suspect that Azeem does not think that the tone was soft and does not think that it was appropriate for you to write in those terms,” said Nicolson. “I think he has a feeling that it was designed to be intimidating.” Nicolson then requested the letter be published.

Acquiescing on Monday, the letter on the Yorkshire website stated that “Mr Rafiq clearly has a right to speak about his experiences and the purpose of this letter is not to stop him doing so.”

It added: “We write now since it is clearly in the interests of everyone, and particularly your readers, that the facts contained in the book are accurate. There have been many inaccuracies already published about this matter and our clients wish to ensure that the facts that are published in the book present an accurate picture.

“Since our clients have not been contacted in advance of publication in the usual way, we are asking that you let us see, pre-publication, a copy of the parts of the book that relate to our clients or to any past or existing staff of the club so that our clients can check the accuracy of what Orion intends to publish.”

The letter, from Payne Hicks Beach, requested the information by February 21. The club has confirmed to The Yorkshire Post that it has received neither a reply to the letter nor a copy of the book. Orion Publishing was contacted for comment.