Azeem Rafiq 'just wants to play cricket'

As far as we are concerned, there is no reason for him to feel upset," said the club's development officer David Clayton ... "He's absolutely gutted. He just wants to play cricket. He is obsessed by cricket, so driven. He loves the game. I offered him a game with our Under-17s (last night) and he said he'd better not – that was the first time I've ever seen him turn down a game. I remember when he first moved over here with his family. He was so keen. He practised every night. If there was no one to practise with, he would practise on his own. Even though he's been playing with the Yorkshire Academy for the last two seasons, he's still down here all the time.You could tell he was good right from the start – he's the best I've seen at that age. He's also a top lad. I'm sure he'll bounce back from this."