John Barnes claims the Azeem Rafiq case will not change the 'narrative' of discrimination in sport and hit out at sporting institutions for simply scapegoating racist individuals instead of making a difference.
Cricketer Rafiq has reported several cases of racist abuse he has suffered at Yorkshire since September last year, claiming that one-time captain Gary Ballance and ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan have used racist terminology against Asian players.
Speaking to Tuesday's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, the former spin bowler also claimed Yorkshire and England cricketers used the name 'Kevin' to abuse people from black an Asian backgrounds, an allegation the ECB are investigating.
Rafiq also recalled a story of him being forced to drink red wine at 15 - despite being a teetotal Muslim - and claimed nobody at Yorkshire stood up for him even though there were several counts of racist abuse.
Former England footballer Barnes believes the allegations made in the Rafiq case will still not make a difference in sport, as - in his words - institutions like Yorkshire and the ECB just scapegoat those guilty of discriminatory abuse and believe they are making a difference.
John Barnes (left) claims the Azeem Rafiq (right) racism case in cricket will not change the 'narrative' regarding racism in sport
Spin bowler Rafiq opened up on racist language and gestures used against him at Yorkshire
The former Liverpool player told BonusCodeBets: 'This scandal with Azeem Rafiq in cricket won't aid open and honest conversations because the institutions still control the narrative.
'They make scapegoats of certain people, which is what they've always done and by scapegoating certain people, they can give the illusion that they're changing because they've come down hard on some idiot who's thrown a banana on the field or someone who said something to South Asian cricketer and then feel that we're making a change.'
Former footballer Barnes was a regular victim of racist abuse during his playing days, including in Liverpool's Merseyside Derby with Everton, where a section of Toffees supporters were branded 'scum' by their own chairman Philip Carter for the chants.
Barnes was also seen backheeling a banana thrown at him off the pitch during a match at Everton's Goodison Park during a match in 1988.
