MIDDLESEX COUNTY CRICKET CLUB chairman Mike O’Farrell has had to issue an apology over comments he made earlier today to Parliament’s culture, media & sport committee session on racism in cricket.

O’Farrell’s comments, which appeared to make generalisations about why individuals from certain ethnic backgrounds drifted away from the sport, drew wide criticism, including from Azeem Rafiq, who said it demonstrated the “endemic problem” within cricket.

O’Farrell said in a statement: “First and foremost, I wish to offer my wholehearted apologies for the misunderstanding that my comments made at this morning’s select committee hearing have evidently caused.

“I wholly accept that this misunderstanding is entirely down to my own lack of clarity and context in the answers I provided, and I am devastated that my comments have led to the conclusions some have made.

“For the purposes of clarification, I was aiming to make the point that as a game, cricket has failed a generation of young cricketers, in systematically failing to provide them with the same opportunities that other sports and sectors so successfully provide.”

Rafiq blew the whistle on the racist abuse he suffered as a player during two spells at Yorkshire in an appearance before the committee’s MPs last year.

His testimony, plus those of others who came forward to allege abuse during their county careers, prompted major change at Yorkshire and the implementation of a 12-point plan to tackle discrimination by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Cricket’s top brass, including county chairmen and the ECB, were called before the same committee today to talk about the efforts their clubs were making to become more diverse.

ECB deputy chair Martin Darlow told the panel of MPs that a vote on governance changes at Yorkshire’s extraordinary general meeting on February 2 would be key in relation to the restoration of hosting rights for international matches at Headingley.

“Once we’re through that, I anticipate the [ECB] board will be making a decision and considering their options soon after that,” he said.

Earlier Lord Patel of Bradford, recently appointed chair at Yorkshire, was questioned about what appeared to be “substantial and ongoing interference by [former chairman Colin] Graves in the governance of Yorkshire.” The Graves family trust is a major creditor of the club. 

Roger Hutton, who resigned as chair over the county’s handling of Rafiq’s allegations of racial harassment and bullying, had told the committee in November that the Graves Trust had vetoed the removal of two board members.

Patel admitted: “I understand where people are coming from and where you have a financial agreement where you have those added extras — you can have an observer on the board — you could veto the appointment or exit of a person.”

But he said the club felt “fundamentally different” from the one he walked into nine weeks ago, when he admits he did not feel comfortable.

However, he accepted that some staff at the club had been unfairly tainted by the mishandling of the Rafiq investigation. “I was sad to hear a young man say he had to hide his badge when he leaves here,” Patel said.

“I’ve had members of staff who have been told in the street to take their shirt off because it’s racist. The fact that we have come so far in such a short space of time does bode well in terms of moving forward.”

Coinciding with the hearing, anti-discrimination group Kick It Out announced today it will work with the ECB to identify and tackle issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in the sport.

Sky Sports and the ECB will each put forward £100,000 to support the Kick It Out project — its first venture outside football.

Cricket has not only been hit hard by allegations of racism but has faced more recent accusations of elitism within its talent pathways from former England international Matt Prior.

The partnership with Kick It Out — which has been working to combat discrimination in football for almost 30 years — forms part of the ECB’s 12-point plan to tackle discrimination in the sport.