22 Year Old Accuses 'Hypocrite' Azeem Rafiq Of Sending 'Vulgar' Messages

Azeem Rafiq, who has been in the news for a while now after his heart-wrenching testimony against Yorkshire Cricket Club and accusing them of institutional racism, has found himself in a similar accusation from a 22-year-old girl. 

Gayathri Ajith has accused Rafiq of sending 'vulgar' messages six years ago when she was just a teenager, the Yorkshire Post reported. 

According to the report, Gayathri met Rafiq on a flight from Manchester to Dubai in December 2015. After three months, the cricketer sent inappropriate and 'creepy' WhatsApp messages to her. 

Screenshots of messages from a number belonging to Rafiq, sent in December 2015, read: “u know what I wanted to do on the plane?” and “I want to grab you push u up against wall and kiss you”.

Although Gayathri sympathised with Rafiq over his testimony against the Yorkshire club but also noted his hypocrisy in certain aspects. 

“I’m not disputing any of his racism claims, because I’m sure they’re very true experiences. But certain aspects of what he said just don’t really sit right with me.

Rafiq, in his testimony, revealed that his teammates forced him to drink wine during his time at the club. 

“If he was being forced to drink by his teammates, then surely that wouldn’t then mean he would be drinking alone on a flight and encouraging a 17-year-old girl to be drinking with him. His behaviour towards me was a direct contradiction really of what he said in his testimony," Gayathri said. 

“He’s calling for equality and respect, but why is he not embodying that in all aspects? Especially in his tone towards women. It’s hypocrisy. He is being put on this pedestal for inciting systemic change, but he’s really contributing to the problem of the vulgar attitudes towards women. The whole nature of that doesn’t sit right with me," she added. 

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On Friday, Azeem Rafiq's 10-year-old anti-semitic text exchange was leaked for which the cricketer apolgised.