Article below contains subject matter that readers may find offensive and distressing; Azeem Rafiq: "Seven out of eight charges have been upheld… I feel very vindicated"; on Vaughan ruling: "I disagree with the finding. But I'll accept it"
Saturday 1 April 2023 06:17, UK
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has had a charge of racism brought against him by the ECB 'not proved' as the verdicts from the Cricket Disciplinary Commission hearing were released on Friday.
Charges were brought against Vaughan and six other ex-Yorkshire players, as well as the club itself, following allegations made by former bowler Azeem Rafiq.
The CDC found that Rafiq and team-mate Adil Rashid - who gave evidence - were "not lying" but mistaken in claiming they heard Vaughan call them 'you lot'. The panel pointed to inconsistencies in their evidence.
An ECB statement said that ex-Yorkshire cricketers Tim Bresnan, John Blain, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah have been found liable for a breach of ECB Directive 3.3 for their alleged use of racist and/or discriminatory language.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Gary Ballance previously admitted their charges ahead of March's CDC hearing in London. Vaughan was the only person charged to appear in person.
Rafiq said he felt "vindicated" as seven out of eight of the charges were upheld, adding with regards to Vaughan's ruling: "I disagree with the finding. But I'll accept it."
Rafiq told Sky Sports News: "I don't want to get hung up on one individual. This is a wider issue.
"All the pain and the hurt of the last two-and-a-half years, it has been challenging for everyone concerned. Most importantly for me, if there is going to be any good out of it, we've got to really take stock, reflect, learn and the game has got to get better.
"Anyone with a sane mind will accept now that the game has not been a place for everyone."
In a statement posted on Instagram ahead of the findings being released, Vaughan said: "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: "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."
On Vaughan, the CDC findings concluded: "These findings do not in any way undermine the wider assertions made by AZR [Rafiq], many of which of course have been confirmed by the admissions of both YCCC [Yorkshire] and certain individuals, as well as by other findings of this panel.
"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."
Three of the four charges against Hoggard were upheld, while Blain's charge of using racist and/or discriminatory language during his time as a coach at Yorkshire across 2010/11 was proved.
Bresnan's charge of using a comment in relation to Asian women, including Rafiq's sister, was upheld, with two further aspects of allegations made against him not proven. Pyrah's charge of using comments in relation to Asian women was proved.
Gale's charges of using a racially-offensive nickname towards Rafiq, as well as a slur towards Rafiq and Yorkshire academy player Mosun Hussain, were also proved.
Azeem Rafiq said in a statement:
"Charges against seven of the eight defendants, including the widespread use of the '(racial slur)' word, have been upheld by the CDC today. This comes in addition to the other reports, panels and inquiries that found I and others suffered racial harassment and bullying while at Yorkshire.
"The issue has never been about individuals but the game as a whole. Cricket needs to understand the extent of its problems and address them. Hopefully, the structures of the game can now be rebuilt and institutionalised racism ended for good. It's time to reflect, learn and implement change."
Michael Vaughan said in a statement:
"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.
"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 18 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 CB's decision-making was that three former team-mates, 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."
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, interim chair, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Stephen Vaughan, CEO, Yorkshire County Cricket Club said:
"Throughout the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) proceedings brought by the England and Wales Cricket Board, Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been driven by a determination to learn from the past. As a club, we needed to accept and take accountability for the cultural issues which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged.
"In February, we accepted four amended charges relating to conduct which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket and/or may bring the ECB and/or the game of cricket into disrepute, all occurring between 2004 and 2021. This resolved the club's liability, and we did not attend the CDC hearings in early March.
"It is not for the club to comment on the wider judgments made by the panel. Our focus remains on achieving a reasonable sanction, and we will make representations in due course to the CDC panel.
"In the meantime, the board is working hard to secure the club's long-term future as we continue on our road to recovery, and we are making great progress in our ambition to become a more inclusive and welcoming club for all."
Richard Thompson, ECB chair, said:
"This has been an incredibly challenging period for our sport, but one we must all learn from in order to make cricket better and more inclusive. When Azeem Rafiq spoke out about his time in cricket, he exposed a side of our game which no one should have to experience. We are grateful for his courage and perseverance.
"Given the nature of these cases, they have taken a clear toll on everyone involved. 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.
"This has been the most complex and thorough regulatory investigation and disciplinary process that the ECB has ever conducted. It covered emotive allegations spanning a period of nearly 20 years with rigour and diligence and was overseen throughout by industry-leading KCs and three very experienced independent members of a sub-group of the Regulatory Committee. I would like to thank the CDC panel and all those involved in working on these important proceedings.
"The decisions published today are the findings of an independent CDC panel, reaching its own decisions based on the evidence before it, and it is now for the panel to determine what sanctions are appropriate where charges have been admitted or upheld. Having only received the decisions today, we will need time to consider them carefully.
"At its best, our sport is one that brings people together and connects communities. It is now time, as we also prepare to receive the report of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, to work together to continue, expand and accelerate the work that is under way to change for the better, so that we can make cricket the UK's most inclusive sport."
