Rafiq, a former captain of the England Under-19s and of Pakistani descent, revealed last year that he felt like an outsider at Yorkshire and even considered taking his own life. Hutton, in his resignation letter, criticized the Yorkshire board and senior management for their unwillingness to apologize and address racism within the club. Hutton, who joined the board after Rafiq had left, also apologized to Rafiq and acknowledged that the club should have taken the allegations of racism more seriously. "I regret that we were unable to convince the executive members of the board to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and demonstrate concern and remorse." The England cricket board (ECB) has suspended Yorkshire EB from hosting international or major matches, but Hutton mentioned that the ECB was hesitant to take action when approached. "I want to make it clear that as soon as I learned of Azeem Rafiq's allegations, I immediately contacted the ECB to request their assistance and involvement in conducting a thorough investigation," Hutton stated. "I was disappointed when they declined to assist, as I believed it was a matter of significant importance for the sport as a whole. It is on record that I have consistently expressed my frustration with the ECB's reluctance to take action." The CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, explained that the ECB was invited to participate in a Yorkshire panel of inquiry, but they could not do so as they are the regulator. Harrison disagreed with the suggestion that the ECB had declined to help, stating that it would go against their role to be both a regulator and a member of an investigation. The ECB had previously stated that it would ensure Yorkshire is held responsible for their actions and would potentially impose penalties. Rafiq and other high-ranking Yorkshire officials have been summoned to testify before a parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) panel on November 16th.