As one of the comments says, I was also surprised that Lyth was picked over Lees way back when. I wish him luck and plenty of runs. Go well.

Usually people about to make their Test debuts at least pretend that they’re feeling optimistic. He should probably stick to “it’s a childhood dream come true” next time.

The quote is from his oral evidence, which you’ve also reproduced.

We’ve a feeling he referred to a conversation with Lees in one of his interviews with a newspaper or website. It’s the kind of thing we often make a note of but obviously didn’t on this occasion.

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/7832/documents/81586/default/

At paragraph 60 of the YCCC statement (link above) Rafiq says:

” I note here that I was being treated as a problem and considered to be “difficult” for having an
opinion and raising concerns and complaints, whereas white British players were able to raise
concerns without facing the same consequences. For example, Alex Lees had raised issues with Tim
Bresnan and suffered no consequences as a result of his complaint. I highlight this obvious
difference in treatment in the text messages between Alex and I (PHB 378-382).”

Unfortunately the evidence bundles do not form part of the materials placed in the public domain by the select committee, so i don’t think we can see the exact subject matter of those texts.

But Rafiq makes it crystal clear in his direct evidence to the select committee who he thought were the good guys and who he thought were the bad guys. here’s paragraph three of his evidence (reproduceable in full as it is public domain)…

…trigger warning, Rafiq uses the “P” word in full:

‘The first few months I came back, I thought, “You know what, things
have changed here, it is a little bit different.” Alex Lees was the captain.
He was a friend and a good person, and I know he had personal tragedies
himself at a young age so he understood me. There was Jason Gillespie,
who was an Australian cricketer and coach, who I felt supported by.
Jason left at the end of 2016 and it felt like the temperature in the room
had just been turned up. You had Andrew Gale coming in as coach and
Gary Ballance as captain. For me, these guys were Yorkshire through and
through, and, as they call it, the white rose values were embedded in
them. For the first time I started to see it for what it was. I felt isolated,
humiliated at times, there was the constant use of the word “Paki”. ‘

I don’t suppose Alex Lees is a saint; nor is Jason Gillespie. But in this matter, they shine out as basically the good guys. I still smart and tremble when I read Rafiq’s testimony, about events of just a few years ago.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/county-championship-division-one-2013-592759/middlesex-vs-yorkshire-593495/full-scorecard

It looked like one of those rather grubby Lord’s pitches with the decision to bat first a bold one on a murky morning (if I remember correctly). Lees certainly looked, to me, like a potentially special player in the making at that time. I recall being surprised when Lyth got his England chance ahead of Lees.

I wish him well in that poisoned chalice England role.