I HAD a number of things on my mind to discuss this week, but they were soon overshadowed by Azeem Rafiq’s harrowing evidence to the digital, culture, media and sport committee on Tuesday morning.

The insight he gave into the sheer scale of institutional racism present, not only in the sporting industry but in Britain more broadly, is a tough pill to swallow. 

You’d be naive to think that this has come out of nowhere — it is everywhere, from certain newspapers’ depictions of Raheem Sterling, to the response to the missed penalties at the Euros, to booing the knee, to trolls online.

After Rafiq spoke, I couldn’t think of much else all day. The racism itself is incomprehensible, but the blind eye turned by teammates, people who should be allies, is just as sickening.

Dr Martin Luther King Jnr summed this up perfectly: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

I’m sure that is how it felt for Rafiq, who called England captain Joe Root a “good man,” and exonerated him of having used any racist language, but clearly stated he was there when such abuse occurred, contrary to Root’s recollections.

Another quote that stuck in my mind about that particular situation was one by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who said: “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

This is clearly not an isolated issue. Other members of the cricket community have already spoken out about their own experiences, and I expect many more will bring awareness to the abuse they faced.

How do we change such deep-rooted, sinister behaviour in systems supposedly equipped to tackle racism and other forms of discrimination?

The one way we can all make a difference is through education, and calling it out when we see or hear it taking place. In this instance, those who had the power to do something about it failed.

I urge you, whether it be at a football match, or the dinner table at your parents’ house, and especially if you are in a workplace, to speak out. Staying silent at the expense of someone else is never OK. If you can report it, do so. If you can correct someone, do so. If you can help to educate, then do so.

I am so sorry that this happened to Azeem Rafiq, and the countless other victims of racial abuse. We stand in solidarity with them and must strive for change.