Azeem Rafiq: Yorkshire deserve England games at Headingley, says former player

Azeem Rafiq spoke to the sports editor of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Azeem Rafiq, a former player at Yorkshire, believes that the club should be allowed to host England games again.

The club's handling of Rafiq's case caused it to lose its international status.

Yorkshire has been told to meet certain conditions by early spring by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Rafiq wants to see England play this summer.

I thought international cricket should be taken away from them.

They have done enough to warrant getting it back.

The major- match status of Yorkshire was suspended until it was clear that it could meet the standards expected.

The former chairman and chief executive have resigned, as well as 16 members of staff, including the director of cricket and the first-team coach.

Lord Patel has taken over as chairman, with a former Yorkshire and England pace bowler as the director of cricket.

Rafiq wrote in the Daily Mail that what the club and Lord Patel had done since the hearing is a step in the right direction.

Rafiq said they should be given back the international cricket.

The people of Yorkshire should be able to watch England play in white-ball and Test matches at Headingley this summer.

If we are asking an institution to look at itself, we should know when it is genuinely sorry and trying to put things right. Yorkshire needs help to move in the right direction.

The third Test against New Zealand and the third one-day international against South Africa were scheduled to be held at Headingley.

An investigation is ongoing by the ECB into allegations made by Rafiq and others.

The decision on this summer's major matches will be made before the investigation is finished in order to aid logistical and give clarity to ticket holders.

Yorkshire have hired former England seamers Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison to join their coaching staff on an interim basis, as well as appointing director of cricket, Stephen Gough.

Rafiq said that the appointment of Gough was the right move by Yorkshire.

He said that they are friends since he was one of his first captains.

I'm encouraged by his involvement because the game needs people like him back involved.

Rafiq told the DCMS select committee that the problem is not unique to Yorkshire.

He said that everything is hunky-dory at his old county, but that we can all move on.

Yorkshire must be kept under review to make sure that this is the start of something important and meaningful.

It seems outside the county everyone wants to throw the book at Yorkshire and my concern is some want to do that in order to make themselves look better or distract attention from their issues.

I don't agree with that because it won't change anything.

There are thousands of cases outside of Yorkshire and what is happening to them today could easily happen to another county.