ECB suspends Gary Ballance ‘indefinitely’ amidst Yorkshire racism fiasco

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has suspended Gary Ballance “indefinitely from the selection” amidst all the hullabaloo surrounding ‘institutional racism’ at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC). The 31-year-old southpaw admitted to have called his former teammate Azeem Rafiq a “P***” after which ECB gave him a slap on the wrist.

Later, the left-handed Ballance, in a statement, stated that he “deeply regretted” some of the language he used in the past. In a report released by Yorkshire, the term “P***” was deemed as friendly “banter”. He also said that Rafiq had been his “closest friend and supporter in cricket”.

Apart from Ballance, the ECB also suspended Yorkshire from hosting international and major matches after how the county has investigated Rafiq’s claims of racism at the club. The ECB took the decisions after a board meeting.

ECB was clear-cut in saying that it won’t tolerate any sort of discriminatory act that tarnishes the reputation of the sport.

ECB sends a strong message for Yorkshire and Gary Ballance

“There is no place for racism or any form of discrimination in cricket and where it is found, swift action must be taken. This matter must be dealt with robustly if the sport is to demonstrate its commitment to truly being a game for everyone,” the statement read

“In the meantime, YCCC are suspended from hosting international or major matches until it has clearly demonstrated that it can meet the standards expected of an international venue, ECB member and First-Class County.”

“Before any regulatory investigation is complete, the Board wishes to take immediate action in relation to Gary Ballance. While Mr Ballance has not been selected to play for England since 2017, he will be suspended indefinitely from the selection. This position will be reviewed following the ECB regulatory investigation into his conduct,” the statement added.

As far as Ballance is concerned, he has played 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for England and last donned the national jersey back in 2017. Even as his international career could hardly take off, he remains a stalwart in the country’s domestic circuit. In 170 first-class, 119 List A and 100 T20s, he has scored over 18,000 runs with 49 tons and 89 fifties.