DCMS demand Yorkshire publish independent inquiry into allegations of racism made towards former spin bowler Azeem Rafiq... after England's biggest county apologised to him for 'inappropriate behaviour' Azeem Rafiq accused Yorkshire of long-term racism towards him last September Yorkshire commissioned an independent report which came back last month England's biggest county apologised to Rafiq for 'inappropriate behaviour' The report has not been published despite calls from Rafiq, 30, and the ECB DCMS Committee chair, Julian Knight MP, says the report must be made public By Sam Blitz For Mailonline Published: 12:43 BST, 8 September 2021 | Updated: 12:43 BST, 8 September 2021 Viewcomments The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have ordered Yorkshire Cricket Club to publish their independent report into allegations of racism made towards Azeem Rafiq. The 30-year-old, who was Yorkshire's first ever cricketer from an Asian background, first made the allegations in September 2020, to which the club commissioned the independent report into alleged institutionalised racism over more than a decade. Once the report was completed, Yorkshire admitted to 'inappropriate behaviour' towards their former player last month, who left the club in 2018, but the report was not given to Rafiq nor shown to the public. The DCMS has ordered Yorkshire to publish its independent report on allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq in September 2020 DCMS Committee chair Julian Knight MP says Rafiq and the public deserve to see the report But DCMS Committee chair, Julian Knight MP, claims Rafiq 'deserves no less' than the report to be published and that it is 'crucial' that Yorkshire release this information. He said on Wednesday: 'We are very surprised that this report has not been published by Yorkshire County Cricket Club, given the seriousness of the allegations of racism which span more than a decade and the fact it has taken over three years to reach this point. 'Given that YCCC said in its statement that several allegations made against the club had been upheld, and that Azeem Rafiq had been a victim of inappropriate behaviour, it is crucial that the process, the report and its full findings are made public and open to scrutiny. He deserves no less.' England's biggest county apologised to Rafiq after accepting he had been a victim of racism The decision made by DCMS comes after the England and Wales Cricket Board demanded that Yorkshire disclose its full findings from the report. 'We have written to Yorkshire to formally request a copy, together with a timeline for publication,' said ECB chair Ian Watmore last month. Rafiq, meanwhile, had accused Yorkshire of 'fudging' their apology to him, with the former spinner labelling it as a 'sham'. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility