LONDON: Former Yorkshire head coach Andrew Gale has revealed he will snub the England and Wales Cricket Board’s disciplinary process after he was charged with bringing the game into disrepute over the Azeem Rafiq racism row.

The ECB recently announced that Yorkshire and “a number of individuals” had been charged following an investigation into allegations of racism made by Gale’s former team-mate Rafiq.

Rafiq claimed he was driven to thoughts of suicide by the culture of racism at Yorkshire during his time with the club.

Gale was sacked by Yorkshire last year but earlier this month won an unfair dismissal claim against the club.

The 38-year-old has confirmed he has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute, but has indicated he will not engage with the process.

“As a starting point let me say that I was very disappointed when Azeem’s original allegations were first brought to my attention,” Gale said in a statement on Wednesday.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, I deny each and every allegation that Azeem raised with YCCC and then via the ECB suggesting that I have used racist language and bullied Azeem.

“I was originally stunned but I am now angry that he has raised such allegations against me.” The ECB said when announcing the charges that the Cricket Discipline Committee would hear the cases in September and October.

But Gale, who captained Yorkshire to the County Championship title, will not attend any hearing or accept the result of the committee’s investigation.

“I will always be unhappy with how my career ended but I refuse to have my life defined by unsubstantiated allegations by an embittered former colleague and by a YCCC/ECB witch-hunt,” he said.

“Similarly, I refuse to act or be perceived as a perpetual victim despite the fact my treatment from the club was abhorrent.

“On this basis, and bearing in mind my income from cricket ceased on Dec 3, 2021, I do not intend to spend my limited savings in paying my legal team to represent me at the ECB hearing.

“The ECB governs an industry from which I have been ousted and which has turned its back on me. I will not be attending any hearing or acknowledging the outcome.”

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2022