The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has strongly criticized former Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves for his assertion that incidents of racism at the county were mere “banter.” In February, Yorkshire admitted to four amended charges related to allegations of racism and bullying raised by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Graves, who served as chairman from 2012 to 2015, stated that no racism allegations were brought to his attention during his tenure. The ECB expressed disappointment with his remarks and issued a statement emphasizing the need to address and eradicate the use of racist slurs in normalized language.

The statement from the ECB reads, “We must never again tolerate accounts like Azeem Rafiq’s, where racist slurs are casually used. These events, along with numerous issues faced by Azeem and others at Yorkshire, have been substantiated multiple times, including during proceedings overseen by the Cricket Discipline Committee (CDC).”

The ECB vehemently opposes the notion that such incidents should be dismissed as “banter” and calls for an immediate end to any debate suggesting otherwise.

Former spinner Azeem Rafiq initially made allegations of historical racism at Headingley in August 2020, subsequently labeling English cricket as “institutionally racist.” Last month, the CDC imposed fines and bans on six former Yorkshire players found to have used racist language. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared of using racist language towards Rafiq based on the panel’s assessment of the evidence.

The sanctions resulting from Yorkshire’s charges will be deliberated in a hearing scheduled for June 27. Possible penalties include an unlimited fine, points deductions, and suspension from ECB competitions.

During an interview with Sky Sports News, Graves, who chaired the ECB from 2015 to 2020, referred to the racism claims at Yorkshire, stating, “There have been instances where regrettable words were said. I don’t believe it was done with a racist intention. I understand that people don’t like the word banter, but there might have been banter around it.”

Graves acknowledged that the world and society have evolved, rendering such behavior unacceptable. However, he denied any awareness of specific allegations during his time as chairman.

Despite initially seeking to resume his position as Yorkshire chairman, Graves withdrew from consideration last week. Lord Patel stepped down from the role in March, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is currently serving as the interim chair.