Earlier this month, former cricketer Azeem Rafiq spoke to Associate Samir Manek about his career, his experiences of suffering racist abuse and his drive for change within the sport. Azeem enjoyed a distinguished career as a professional cricket player for Yorkshire CCC. When he became the youngest captain of the Yorkshire side in 2012, he was also the first player of Asian origin to take up this mantle. However, Azeem has faced significant and unjust obstacles in his career. In 2020, he claimed that ‘institutional racism’ at the Yorkshire CCC had left him shattered and compelled him to take his own life, and in 2021, Azeem appeared before a parliamentary committee to face questions from MPs concerning his accusations of racism in the game. Visit the Mishcon Academy for more learning, events, videos, podcasts and reports.