Michael Vaughan cleared, criticises ‘inappropriate, inadequate‘ ECB racism proceedings

The ECB charged the 48-year-old Ashes-winning captain last year with directing the phrase “there’s too many of you lot, we need to do something about that” towards the former Yorkshire players Azeem Rafiq, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, as well as Adil Rashid, the England spinner who still represents the county.

During a five-day Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearing last month, a three-person panel chaired by the former Derbyshire player Tim O’Gorman was given evidence by the ECB’s legal counsel that Vaughan used the phrase before a T20 Blast match at Trent Bridge in 2009 and took corroborating evidence from Rashid via videolink from Bangladesh.

Vaughan was one of seven individuals charged by the ECB with using racist or discriminatory language. Gary Ballance pleaded guilty while each of the five others - the former England players Tim Bresnan and Matthew Hoggard and the three former Yorkshire coaches Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah and John Blain - was found liable for use of racist or discriminatory language.

Vaughan has always strongly denied that he used the phrase and his legal counsel questioned the thoroughness of the ECB’s investigation into the claim during the hearing, which Vaughan attended in person. Having been cleared yesterday (Friday) morning, Vaughan said in a statement that there had been “no winners” from the saga.

“Particularly with an issue such as this, CDC proceedings were an inappropriate, inadequate and backwards step,” he wrote. “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 three 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.”

After being charged by the ECB last June, Vaughan stood down from his punditry job on BBC’s Test Match Special and has not worked for the corporation since. In a statement issued after the judgment was published, the BBC did not confirm whether it would now rehire Vaughan but it is likely that it will now feel able to restore Vaughan to its flagship radio show for this summer’s Ashes series, which starts on 16 June at Edgbaston.

Vaughan could still seek financial compensation from the ECB. He has lost a significant amount of income, not only from his BBC role but through other ambassadorial positions that he stood down from as a result of the charge.

With the exception of the ECB, his statement struck a conciliatory tone. “It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past three years,” he wrote. “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.

“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 ... 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.

“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.”

Originally published as Michael Vaughan cleared, criticises ‘inappropriate, inadequate‘ ECB racism proceedings