London: Another former English county player Essex she has said she is suffering racist abuse in the club after the allegations made by zoheb sharif And Maurice Chambers in the last week.
Zahid Ahmed, who bowled for Essex from 2005–2009, told The Cricketer that he was bullied by a senior coach and that his accent was ridiculed by players and some members of the coaching staff.
Zahid’s revelations follow similar claims by Chambers and Sharif. Chambers, who played for Essex between 2005 and 2013, said he was so upset by racial bullying in the county that he went home and cried after matches.
“It was a white people’s world where brown people were the outsiders,” said Zahid, 35. “I wanted to change my voice. I tried to deepen it. I really wanted to fit in.
“I felt like an outsider all the time when I was at (Essex grounds) Chelmsford. I was always afraid of what they would do and that made it incredibly difficult for me to focus on my cricket.”
Essex, who had already launched an investigation following Chambers’ initial claims, said they had set up a reporting channel for anyone experiencing abuse at the club.
Chief Executive John Stephenson said: “The allegations are difficult to read and will be treated and investigated with the utmost seriousness.”
“I have reached out to him (Zahed) to extend my full support, and I hope he feels encouraged and comfortable being a part of our impending investigation.
“It is clear that there is a lot of work to be done as a sport, but we are moving in the right direction.
“The next period is going to be extremely difficult, especially for those who are sharing their experiences, but together, we will come out of this better than the other side.”
The issue of racism in English cricket was widely exposed by claims of racism faced by another former county player, Azeem Rafiq, while playing for Yorkshire, which led to the exodus of sponsors and the resignation of several top officials.
Zahid Ahmed, who bowled for Essex from 2005–2009, told The Cricketer that he was bullied by a senior coach and that his accent was ridiculed by players and some members of the coaching staff.
Zahid’s revelations follow similar claims by Chambers and Sharif. Chambers, who played for Essex between 2005 and 2013, said he was so upset by racial bullying in the county that he went home and cried after matches.
“It was a white people’s world where brown people were the outsiders,” said Zahid, 35. “I wanted to change my voice. I tried to deepen it. I really wanted to fit in.
“I felt like an outsider all the time when I was at (Essex grounds) Chelmsford. I was always afraid of what they would do and that made it incredibly difficult for me to focus on my cricket.”
Essex, who had already launched an investigation following Chambers’ initial claims, said they had set up a reporting channel for anyone experiencing abuse at the club.
Chief Executive John Stephenson said: “The allegations are difficult to read and will be treated and investigated with the utmost seriousness.”
“I have reached out to him (Zahed) to extend my full support, and I hope he feels encouraged and comfortable being a part of our impending investigation.
“It is clear that there is a lot of work to be done as a sport, but we are moving in the right direction.
“The next period is going to be extremely difficult, especially for those who are sharing their experiences, but together, we will come out of this better than the other side.”
The issue of racism in English cricket was widely exposed by claims of racism faced by another former county player, Azeem Rafiq, while playing for Yorkshire, which led to the exodus of sponsors and the resignation of several top officials.
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