It crosses your mind [ reporting it ] but I was Cricketer Gary Ballance, and I didn't know what to do. I kept it to Cricketer Gary Ballance, even before the incident I felt distant, it happened and then I felt isolated after that. Going forward, I didn't feel I could speak up or give my views on the game in team meetings.

Gary Ballance

Gary Ballance (born 22 November 1989) is a Zimbabwean-born-British cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a leg break bowler, who currently plays for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England. He was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Ballance first played in the Second XI Championship in 2006, having made five appearances for Zimbabwe in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, in which the team finished in sixth place. In the final match for the team, Ballance scored a half-century, gaining notice from Derbyshire and earned the chance to sign for the team in 2006. He played his first limited overs match two weeks later, having performed in the Derbyshire Second XI. At the end of the 2007 season, Ballance left Derbyshire to sign academy terms with Yorkshire. He made his first-class debut for Yorkshire against Kent at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, in July 2008. In the first-class match against Durham MCC University in April 2011, Ballance scored 72 and 73 not out. He made his England debut on 3 September 2013 in an ODI against Ireland. On 25 April 2015 Ballance became the third fastest England Test cricketer to reach 1,000 runs, in the second Test against West Indies. Ballance was named a Cricketer of the Year in the 2015 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Following an investigation into racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Ballance released a statement admitting that he was one of the players who had used racial slurs against fellow player Azeem Rafiq. Following this announcement, he was suspended from selection by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

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