Yorkshire chairman laments ejection

Updated 07.49 Fri Jul 11 2008
Keywords: yorkshire, ineligible, twenty20, cup, rafiq

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves said he was "totally and utterly disappointed" at the England and Wales Cricket Board's (EWCB) decision to throw Yorkshire out of the Twenty20 Cup for fielding an ineligible player.

After three hours of deliberations, the three-man ECB discipline commission panel decided that the Tykes knew as early as the beginning of 2007 that there were doubts about Azeem Rafiq's eligibility to play as a non-overseas player.

After three hours of deliberations, the three-man ECB discipline commission panel decided that the Tykes knew as early as the beginning of 2007 that there were doubts about Azeem Rafiq's eligibility to play as a non-overseas player

They decided that Yorkshire had sufficient time to clarify the 17-year-old's eligibility before he made his first-team debut against Nottinghamshire in the crucial North Division match in the Twenty20 Cup last month.

Even though the spinner had captained England at both Under-15 and Under-16 level, he does not currently hold a British passport and therefore must be classed as an overseas player.

The Tykes beat the Outlaws by nine wickets at Headingley and progressed to the quarter-finals at Nottinghamshire's expense.

Yorkshire had not de-registered their official overseas player, Pakistan's Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, prior to that game, meaning they had contravened ECB rules.

In a statement released before the meeting convened, the ECB said they had not known about doubts over Rafiq's immigration status until the morning of the ill-fated quarter-final.

Mr Graves said Yorkshire may appeal the decision and said: "We put in a very good presentation. We'll have a sit down and decide what to do next."

Former Yorkshire batsmen and England chairman of selectors Ray Illingworth said the ECB had to clear up the confusion surrounding the status of overseas players.

He said: "It seems a bit daft that this lad can go and captain England at Under-15 and Under-16 level and not be allowed to have a British passport. He should've been able to get one by now."

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