ZIMBABWE'S T20 captain, Sikandar Raza, has lodged a formal complaint with the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA) alleging racial abuse during a Vigne Cup match played at Old Hararians Sports Club on June 1.
The Old Hararians player claims that Rainbow Cricket Club coach, Blessing Mafuwa, hurled racial slurs at him.
OH won that encounter by 142 runs DLS method after the match was reduced to 39 overs and a revised target of 368 runs.
OH batted first, scored 402/9 in their allotted overs, Raza scoring 78 from 56 before restricting Rainbow to 228/8.
Raza recounts the distressing incident.
"While I was leaving the field due to muscle tightness, Mafuwa screamed and shouted at me. Despite my pleas for him to speak respectfully, he continued to abuse me. What hurt the most was when he said, 'I can say whatever I want, I have a Zimbabwean passport, not a Pakistani passport like Raza. This is my land, not Pakistan."
Raza, who has represented Zimbabwe for 13 years, was incensed by alleged racist remarks made in the presence of national teammates playing for their respective clubs.
"After 23 years in this country and 14 years as a citizen, I was subjected to racist remarks in front of players of various races. This is unacceptable," added Raza in his letter of complaint to the HMCA chairperson Tafadzwa Madoro.
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The star all-rounder demanded severe punishment, emphasising the gravity of the situation.
"I request stern action against Mafuwa for abusing a national player and captain with racial slurs," he said.
HMCA has noted Raza's complaint with concern.
"We are investigating the matter and will convene a disciplinary meeting after receiving a written response from the alleged coach," said chairperson Madoro.
As Zimbabwe Cricket and the ICC uphold a zero-tolerance policy towards racism, Raza's plea for justice resonates deeply.
The ICC's Anti-Discrimination Policy clearly states that no person shall be offended, insulted, or discriminated against based on their race, religion, or nationality.
It reads: "No person shall at any time offend, insult, humiliate, threaten, disparage, vilify or unlawfully discriminate between persons based on their race, religion, culture, colour, descent, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and maternity status."
