David Lloyd issues an apology and expresses 'deep regret' for making an offensive comment about the Asian cricket community after Azeem Rafiq named the commentator during DCMS committee hearing in Westminster
- David Lloyd has apologised after being named by Azeem Rafiq in Westminster
- Rafiq lifted the lid on the racist abuse he received throughout his cricket career
- Lloyd was named among a host of leading cricket figures during the hearing
- He expressed 'deep regret' for a comment about the Asian cricket community
David Lloyd has apologised and expressed 'deep regret' after it emerged that the cricket pundit made an offensive comment about the Asian cricket community.
Former England cricketer and Sky Sports pundit Lloyd was named by Azeem Rafiq during a select committee hearing on Tuesday as the former Yorkshire star lifted the lid on the racist abuse he received while playing for the county club.
Lloyd has taken to Twitter to apologise for a comment made in October 2020, insisting that he is 'strongly committed to making cricket a more inclusive sport'.
'In October 2020, I had a private message exchange with a third party involved in cricket, about a number of topics,' he posted.
'In these messages, I referred to allegations about Azeem Rafiq which I had heard from within the game. I also made some comments about the Asian cricket community.
'I deeply regret my actions, and I apologise most sincerely to Azeem and to the Asian cricket community for doing this, and for any offence caused.

David Lloyd has apologised after being named by Azeem Rafiq amid cricket's racism storm

Rafiq named Bumble among a host of figures in cricket to have made offensive comments

Lloyd expressed 'deep regret' for the comment he made in a statement posted on Twitter
'I am strongly committed to making cricket a more inclusive sport. It is very obvious now that more work needs to be done and I will do everything I can to remove discrimination from the sport I love, and the sport that has been my life for over 50 years.'
Lloyd's statement comes after Rafiq labelled English cricket as 'institutionally racist' and detailed his 'inhumane' treatment at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The spin bowler turned whistleblower claimed the word P*** was 'used constantly' at the side as he gave explosive testimony to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee this morning.

The spin bowler told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee racism was rife at the side and no one in leadership challenged it. He is pictured as he began to weep during the testimony

Gary Ballance (pictured playing for England against South Africa in July 2017) is among the cricket stars accused of being racist between 2008 and 2018 by Rafiq


Rafiq hit out at England Test captain Joe Root (left), claiming he was on those nights out where he was called a 'P***'. But he later said Root was a good man. He claimed fellow international star Hales (right) named his black dog Kevin after Ballance often used it as a term for black people
In one shocking claim, he gave a harrowing account of having red wine forced down his throat by older players at his local team when he was 15 and a devout Muslim - before he drank more heavily from 2012 'to try to fit in'.
Rafiq claimed when he first joined Yorkshire he and other Asian players were told they had to 'sit near the toilets' and were called 'elephant washers'.
The athlete also launched another broadside at former teammate Gary Ballance, saying it was an open secret in the England dressing room he was racist.
Meanwhile he claimed fellow international star Alex Hales named his black Dobermann Kevin after his friend Ballance used it to refer to black people.
And he hit out at current England Test captain Joe Root, claiming the batsman was on the nights out when he was called a 'P***'.
During the wide-ranging hearing, Rafiq blinked back tears as he opened up about the 'inhumane' treatment he received from coaches after his wife had a miscarriage in 2017.
His emotional testimony had to be brought to an abrupt halt by DCMS chair Julian Knight and adjourned for five minutes so the cricketer could recompose himself.
Downing Street described his evidence to the committee as 'concerning', with the Prime Minister's official spokesman adding: 'There is no place for racism in sport.'
Rafiq said the problem at Yorkshire was replicated 'up and down the country'.
He described England and Wales Cricket Board initiatives on diversity as 'box-ticking' exercises and 'tokenism'. He said former England coach David 'Bumble' Lloyd had talked about Rafiq's drinking.

Lloyd insisted he is committed to making cricket a more inclusive game following Rafiq's case
He added: 'He'd been an England coach and commentator and I found it disturbing, because Sky is supposedly doing this amazing work on bringing racism to the front and within a week of me speaking out, that's what I got sent to me and I thought, 'God, there are some closet racists and I need to do something about it'.'
Rafiq added: 'I think with four or five months left on my contract, I was encouraged to sign a confidentiality form and take a parcel of money which I refused.
'At that time it would have been a lot of money for me. I think my wife was struggling. I knew I was struggling.
'There was no way mentally I could have even considered putting myself through this trauma. I actually left the country. I went to Pakistan. I never wanted to come back.'