Like many other sportsmen, Jahid Ahmed has been a victim of racism. He is the latest former Essex player to complain of being the subject of racist abuse during his time playing for the club.
- Jahid Ahmed is a Cricketer. About his racist abasement, Ahmed talked in an interview. He said, that Essex was “a white man’s world where brown people were outsiders” after being asked by a teammate if he was “going to bomb” the club.
- As a victim he claims, players from the teams used to make fun of him. They even mocked and mimicked him hence he was feeling pressurized and stopped attending a team meeting in a pub while he was fasting during Ramadan.
- Essex chief executive John Stephenson said in a statement in response to Ahmed’s allegations, ‘I am disheartened to learn of these new historic racial allegations from a former player about several of his ex-team-mates and a previous member of staff.
- ‘The allegations reported to The Cricketer make difficult reading and they will be treated and investigated with the utmost seriousness. I have reached out to him to offer him our full support, and I hope he feels encouraged and comfortable enough to be a part of our imminent investigation.
- ‘At the end of last week, we announced that the club will be working with Katharine Newton QC to focus on these allegations which have recently come to light. Ms. Newton specializes in employment and discrimination cases and has widespread experience covering an extensive range of issues.
- ‘Having someone of this stature looking into these allegations will allow us to complete a thorough and detailed independent investigation. During the short time I’ve been back at the club, we’ve made significant steps, and I’m determined to tackle this head-on and improve our game for the better.
- He also said that ‘It is clear as a sport there is a lot of work to be done, but we are moving in the right direction. The next period is going to be extremely difficult, especially for those sharing their experiences, but together we will come out the other side better for it.
- ‘We pride ourselves on our multicultural and diverse values, and we hope the outcome of the investigation will help us improve and develop ourselves as people and as a club.’
- John Faragher resigned as Essex chairman on November 11 following the claim of him using racist language at a board meeting in 2017 that he denied.
- Another former Essex batter Zoheb Sharif had also been abused earlier this month and expressed about what he went through, said he was called “bomber” by his teammates after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
- Another former Essex player, Maurice Chambers, shared how he was the aim of racist bullying for 10 years at the club. He even got humiliated by throwing bananas at him and frequently as a joke.
During his time at Essex former fast-bowler, Jahid Ahmed played in total of seven first-class matches between the years 2005 and 2009.
