2019 WC win gave players 'bigger platform' to tell stories: Morgan on racism
Nov 09, 2021
Abu Dhabi [UAE], November 9 : England skipper Eoin Morgan on Tuesday said the players talk about the discrimination a lot and try to share their respective stories in order to make everyone feel comfortable.
Morgan's remarks come after England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last week suspended Yorkshire from hosting international matches over handling the issues raised by Azeem Rafiq.
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) in September this year had said Rafiq, during his first spell as a player at YCCC, was the victim of racial harassment and bullying. But the club said it would take no disciplinary action.
"We don't shelter anything that is going on. So when matters of such serious nature ever arise, particularly when it comes to discrimination it is a reminder," said Morgan in a virtual press conference.
"We talk about discrimination a lot because in our group there are a lot of diverse people. So we try and share our stories as much as we can. We are all products of county cricket and county cricket has played a substantial role in our position that we are at the moment," he added.
Following the row over discrimination issue in the County, the chairman of Yorkshire, Roger Hutton, announced his resignation ahead of an emergency meeting to discuss the club's response to racism experienced by former player Azeem Rafiq.
Morgan said after England won the 2019 World Cup, the title win allowed the players to voice their opinion.
"I think after winning the 2019 World Cup and becoming a more formidable side there is a bigger platform that has allowed us to able to feel comfortable to continue to tell our different stories," said Morgan
"What's going in Yorkshire we have continued to challenge those things. It might affect younger generations. Being at the forefront of change both on and off the field is not easy.
"We feel comfortable talking about these things because we come from different backgrounds. We want young kids to follow a pathway and be able to picture what we are doing now. So the things we are doing this World Cup and beyond is very important," he added.
