Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan cleared of racism charge

Ashes-winning former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has had the racism charge against him dismissed.

The 48-year-old had been accused by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) of making a derogatory comment towards a group of Yorkshire teammates of Asian ethnicity before a match in 2009, including Azeem Rafiq who first spoke out in 2020 about the discrimination he suffered during two stints with the county.

The former batter allegedly told them: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”

He had always categorically denied using racist language towards Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad.

He appeared in person at a Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearing which was held in public in London earlier this month to defend himself.

Five others accused were found by the panel to have used racist and/or discriminatory language – former Test stars Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, ex-Yorkshire coaches Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah and former Scotland international John Blain.

Unlike Vaughan, they had indicated prior to the hearing they would not participate, with the allegations against them heard in their absence.

The cricketer-turned TV pundit wrote on social media on Friday: “It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past three 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.”

He added: “The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem’s own lived experiences.”

Branding the proceedings an “inappropriate, inadequate, and backwards step”, he added: “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.”

In its decision the panel said there had been “significant inconsistencies” in the evidence of the main witnesses, Rafiq and Rashid, and found the case against Vaughan “not proved”.

But it stressed this did not “in any way undermine the wider assertions” made by Rafiq.

The charges, brought in June last year, stemmed primarily from allegations levelled by the former Yorkshire bowler.

Yorkshire accepted in 2021 Rafiq had been the victim of racial harassment and bullying, but a month later said no individuals would face disciplinary action as a consequence.

The county admitted four charges, including a failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language at the club over a prolonged period.

A seventh individual, former Yorkshire and England batter, Gary Ballance, also admitted using racist and/or discriminatory language.

Rafiq told Sky News: “I think it’s really important at this stage now that everybody really reflects, accepts that the game has not done anywhere near enough and comes together.

“The reason for me speaking out was for the game to get better for my kids and everyone else’s.

“Let’s not beat around the bush, there is a large part of the cricket community that is very hesitant and resistant to change, hence why we have not moved forward.

“We all have to take responsibility because the one thing that unites us all is the game that we all love.”

ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “There now needs to be a time of reconciliation where, as a game, we can collectively learn and heal the wounds and ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again.”

Meanwhile, the chair of Cricket Scotland Anjan Luthra has quit following criticism of his and the organisation’s attempts to tackle racism.