Azeem Rafiq has stated he fears being the central witness in a public racism listening to convened by English cricket authorities will make life “worse” for him and his household, though he has been a first-rate mover in guaranteeing proceedings usually are not held in non-public. The ex-Yorkshire spinner is because of transfer abroad within the close to future along with his spouse, youngsters and fogeys so as to defend his household from additional abuse. Pakistan-born Rafiq, 31, first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, associated to his two spells at Yorkshire, which finally led to a mass clear-out of senior boardroom figures and training workers.

Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) hearings are normally held behind closed doorways as a result of they aren’t courts of regulation or a parliamentary physique the place witnesses are protected by privilege that might stop them from being sued.

The 31-year-old Rafiq, nonetheless, has been adamant he desires the listening to to happen in public ever for the reason that England and Wales Cricket Board charged quite a lot of people over allegations of racism he raised, and charged Yorkshire over their dealing with of these allegations, in June.

The listening to, resulting from begin on November 28, may but be held in non-public if any of the events concerned efficiently enchantment, though Rafiq has indicated he may withdraw if that occurred.

“My view is I’ve gone through all these processes and been vindicated, yet I and my family continue to be put through some very awful situations,” Rafiq informed Britain’s PA information company on Wednesday. “So I’ll go in another room and I will be vindicated again, I’ve got absolutely no doubt whatsoever. But will that change my life? I actually think it’ll make things worse.

“But we have to have these conversations for transparency and for closure. Let the world see it, what’s there to cover? I’ve obtained nothing to cover.”

He added: “Is it going to be simple for me? Of course it isn’t. I’m going to be cross-examined by seven or eight completely different authorized groups. But I simply do not see an finish except that occurs.”

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Rafiq, however, is convinced there would have been even less progress in his case had he not given evidence to a committee of lawmakers in the House of Commons last year. “If it wasn’t for the choose committee, I’d nonetheless be preventing,” he added as he thanked the ECB for providing him with “24-7 safety” following recent threats.

A book looking at Rafiq’s life titled ‘It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism’, written with English cricket journalist George Dobell, is set to be published on May 4 next year. The book will examine the discrimination he has encountered during his cricket career, as well as his own misconduct, including the anti-Semitic tweets he was sanctioned for by the CDC earlier this year.