David Lloyd apologises for feedback on Asian gamers after Rafiq testimony

Cricket commentator David Lloyd has apologised after Azeem Rafiq instructed a British parliamentary committee that the previous England coach had made disparaging feedback about Asian cricketers.
In Tuesday’s distressing testimony, Rafiq, 30, catalogued a tradition of widespread racism at his county membership Yorkshire, describing the “inhuman” therapy he had obtained. He additionally mentioned the game in England was riddled with racism.
Rafiq testified that members of the media had been additionally responsible of racism and recognized Lloyd, now a Sky Sports pundit, as messaging others within the media and saying: “a clubhouse is the lifeblood of a club and Asian players don’t go in there”.
“In October 2020, I had a private message exchange with a third party involved in cricket, about a number of topics,” Lloyd mentioned in a press release on Twitter on Tuesday.
“In these messages, I referred to allegations about Azeem Rafiq which I had heard from within the game. I also made some comments about the Asian cricket community.”I deeply remorse my actions, and I apologise most sincerely to Azeem and to the Asian cricket group for doing this, and for any offence prompted.

“I am strongly committed to making cricket a more inclusive sport. It is very obvious now that more work needs to be done and I will do everything I can to remove discrimination from the sport I love, and the sport that has been my life for over 50 years.”In his testimony, Rafiq mentioned he discovered Lloyd’s feedback “disturbing” as his employers Sky had been doing “amazing work on bringing racism to the front”, describing the 74-year-old as “closet racist”.Sky mentioned they’d be investigating Lloyd’s feedback.
“Sky is committed to actively championing inclusion in cricket – and in all sports – and opposing all forms of discrimination,” they mentioned in a press release.