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EXCLUSIVE: Azeem Rafiq identifies former Yorkshire and Hampshire cricketer Alex Morris as cricketer who ‘pinned’ him down and ‘forced him down red wine’ at age 15 in shocking revelations
- Azeem Rafiq has accused Alex Morris of pouring wine down his throat at the age of 15
- Rafiq identified the former cricketer for the first time in a statement on Wednesday
- He said: ‘I was pinned down by an older player, Alex Morris, in the back of a car’
- Rafiq claims former Barnsley player Andrew Ivill confirmed the event took place
Azeem Rafiq has accused former Yorkshire and Hampshire all-rounder Alex Morris of pouring red wine down his throat at the age of 15 in parliamentary documents.
Rafiq’s shocking allegations that a Barnsley Cricket Club teammate pinned him in the back of a car and forced him to drink shocked the cricket world when they first surfaced 13 months ago, but the identity of the alleged perpetrator has never it was known. made public.
However, in written evidence filed with the Department’s Committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport after his second appearance before them yesterday, Rafiq names Morris as the alleged assailant.
Azeem Rafiq accused Alex Morris of pouring wine down his throat in parliamentary documents
Morris was a senior player at Barnsley when Rafiq rose through the ranks at his local club.
Morris, 46, had no comment when approached but denied the allegations.
He was a senior player at Barnsley when Rafiq was rising through the ranks at his local club as a teenager, having spent eight years in first-class play at Yorkshire and Hampshire.
In a written statement to the DCMS Committee released today, Rafiq identifies Morris for the first time.
South Yorkshire Police are understood to have spoken to Morris about the incident earlier this year after receiving a tip, but no action was taken.
According to Rafiq’s claims, Morris pinned him down when he was 15 years old in the back of a car.
Rafiq first identified it Wednesday in a statement to the DCMS Committee
Former Barnsley player Andrew Ivill confirmed the incident occurred according to Rafiq.
“On November 13, 2020, my lawyers sent a press release to the media referring to an incident when I was playing for my local cricket club at the age of 15,” Rafiq writes.
“I was pinned by an older player, Alex Morris. [‘Almo’]in the back of a car, where he forced me to swallow red wine.
“As a practicing Muslim, I didn’t drink, although I did drink later during part of my time as a professional to try to fit in with the culture.”
In his filing, Rafiq also claims that he was subsequently contacted out of the blue by another former Barnsley player, Andrew Ivill, who recalled the incident and admitted to driving the car.
“Later, on November 13, 2020, I received a series of messages from the driver of the car, Andrew Ivill,” Rafiq writes. He spontaneously contacted me and confirmed that the incident had occurred.
“He offers Alex’s name and that he was driving, proving that the incident took place.”