Michael Vaughan racism verdict – LIVE: Ex-England captain cleared at Yorkshire hearing
The ex-England skipper was cleared by an independent panel after being accused of using discriminatory language to Azeem Rafiq and other Yorkshire teammates
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared of using racist or discriminatory language towards a group of players, including Azeem Rafiq, after a hearing in London.
Vaughan was charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with making a racist comment towards Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan before a Yorkshire game in 2009.
It was alleged that the 48-year-old, who led England in 51 Tests, said to the quartet, who are of Asian ethnicity: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”
Vaughan, who had denied making the comment, announced on social media that he has now been cleared of the charge by the Cricket Discipline Committee (CDC) panel and posted a lengthy statement urging people not to overlook the problem of racism in cricket despite the outcome.
Follow all the latest updates as Michael Vaughan learns the verdict, below:
John Blain to appeal
John Blain was among those found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute by the CDC report is the first of those facing sanctions to announce that he will appeal.
The CDC found claims he used the term “P---” in 2010 or 2011 as “proved”.
He told Telegraph Sport in response: “I’ll continue to fight this by whatever means are available. I guess there will be an appeals process and a subsequent process after that will have to be also considered.
“I’ve always said that I wouldn’t rule out having to go to the High Court to contest this because it’s a huge miscarriage of justice. It’s unfair and very difficult to digest when I’ve done nothing. I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong and that’s the hardest thing.”
Why was Vaughan cleared?
One of the stand out parts of the full report into the CDC hearings is the inconsistencies in the testimony of Azeem Rafiq’s allegations.
Rafiq’s initial allegations were that Vaughan said: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that“ but in the intial investigation by Yorkshire, Rafiq said the words were: “Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it“ and in a employment tribunal claim he said the phrase was: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”
By the time of the CDC hearing last month, Rafiq’s witness statement said the comment was “There’s too many of you lot. We need to have a word about that“.
The report into the Vaughan verdict states: “Given the specific nature of the allegation, these inconsistencies are significant, not least since these are matters which are being recalled some 11 years and more later. Moreover they also have an impact upon the clarity with which [Rafiq] states that he recalls the matter.”
Concluding remarks in Michael Vaughan’s case
The CDC heard, read and watched a whole heap of evidence both for and against Michael Vaughan making a racist remark to four Asian players featuring for Yorkshire in 2009.
The concluding remarks of the CDC read: “These findings do not in any way undermine the wider assertions made by AZR [Azeem Rafiq], many of which of course have been confirmed by the admissions of both YCCC and certain individuals, as well as by other findings of this Panel. 97.
“However the Panel has been required to concentrate on the focussed evidence presented to it by both parties in respect of one comment, made in two parts, on an afternoon now nearly 14 years ago.
“This is not a case which necessitated a conclusion from the Panel that anyone has lied or acted out of malice. Far from it, the Panel had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB, in light of all the evidence, was sufficiently accurate and reliable, on the balance of probabilities, to rule out mistake. It was not.”
ECB releases full report
The ECB has released the full report on the charges against Michael Vaughan and five other members of Yorkshire CCC who were accused of making racist remarks towards Azeem Rafiq and other Asian players.
The document is 82 pages long and explains how the CDC came to the decision to clear Michael Vaughan.
Verdict explanation expected soon
More detail from the ECB on how the verdicts were reached is expected to be released shortly as well as the verdicts on the other players that faced charges during the CDC hearings.
Michael Vaughan cleared of using racist language after Yorkshire racism hearing
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared of using racist or discriminatory language towards a group of players, including Azeem Rafiq, after a hearing in London.
Vaughan was charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with making a racist comment towards Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan before a Yorkshire game in 2009.
It was alleged that the 48-year-old, who led England in 51 Tests, said to the quartet, who are of Asian ethnicity: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”
Vaughan, who had denied making the comment, has now been cleared of the charge by the Cricket Discipline Committee (CDC) panel.
Michael Vaughan cleared of using racist language towards Azeem Rafiq
Vaughan had denied making a racist comment before a Yorkshire game in 2009
Vaughan cleared of making racist remark
Michael Vaughan has been cleared of using racist language while a Yorkshire player in 2009 following the verdicts delivered by the Cricket Discipline Commission.
Michael Vaughan’s statement in full
“It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past 3 years.
“The outcome of these CDC proceedings must not be allowed to detract from the core message that there can be no place for racism in the game of cricket, or in society generally.
“As with others who have spoken about their time at Yorkshire, I can only speak of my own experiences and of my own time there. The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem’s own lived experiences.
“The hearing made public that Azeem and I met eighteen months ago, well before the CDC proceedings came into existence. I told him then that I am sorry for his unacceptable, negative experiences at the club I love and in the sport I love. We had what I thought was a really positive and constructive discussion. We shook hands with a shared intention to work together in order to create positive change in cricket.
“For my part, nothing has altered in that respect.
“There is still a job to do and I remain keen to help bring about positive change in any way that I can. Cricket has been my life. Particularly with an issue such as this, CDC proceedings were an inappropriate, inadequate and backwards step. One of many reasons why I hold that view is because CDC proceedings are adversarial. They invite claim and counterclaim.
“They invite those involved to accuse each other of untruths or of lying. The inevitable consequence of the ECB’s decision-making was that 3 former teammates, one of whom is a current England international player, were pitted against one another in what later became a public forum for the world at large to see.
“Despite being criticised by the ECB for not accusing others of lying, I remain of the view that no good can come of that approach. There are no winners in this process and there are better ways – there have to be better ways - for cricket to move forward positively and effectively.
“I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket. I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept, or apologise for, something which I know I did not do.
“At times, this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of love with cricket. I won’t address here the toll that it has taken on me and my family, but I have no doubt that it has also been incredibly stressful for all of the others concerned. I hope that for them and for cricket, an inclusive healing process can now begin.
“Now that the ECB’s charge against me has been dismissed, I want to thank the panel for their careful attention in very difficult circumstances and to thank all of those who have given me their support during an incredibly difficult period in my life .”
‘There is no place for racism in cricket'
Michael Vaughan has released this statement reaffirming that there can be not place in cricket for racism:
What happened at the hearing?
On the first day of the hearing the judicial panel heard evidence against Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard and John Blain.
Among other things, Bresnan was accused of referring to Azeem Rafiq’s sister as a “fit p---” and it was alleged that there was a “prevailing atmosphere” of racist abuse at Yorkshire.
On day two, Azeem Rafiq and Adil Rashid, the England leg-spinner, were cross-examined.
Inconsistencies emerged in the accounts of what exactly was said before the match versus Nottinghamshire in 2009 which is were the accusations against Michael Vaughan slot in.
Rafiq also had to deny that he had blackmailed Rashid into backing his version of events.
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