Michael Vaughan After being cleared of using racist language against Asian players, he wept with relief as he feared that if he were found guilty, his life in English cricket would be over.
Former England captain Vaughan allegedly referred to a group of four Yorkshire players of Asian ethnicity as “you” in June 2009, but Cricket The Disciplinary Commission panel found that the accusation was not proven.
The panel found “major inconsistencies” in the statements of two key witnesses – Azeem Rafik and Adil Rashid – regarding the literal meaning of Vaughan’s supposed interpretation.
Five others playing for Yorkshire, including former England players Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan were found guilty of the same charge.
Vaughan, who went to pick up his son from school for the Easter holidays, talked about the psychological pain his family suffered when he learned that he had been acquitted.
“I just cried,” Vaughan told The Telegraph. “It was a complete relief when the lawyer said he was acquitted.
“It is very difficult when your spouse has to take beta-blockers for 16 months and you wake up in the middle of the night crying with tears in their eyes. Anyone with a child knows they don’t give much, but I know how hard it is for them and the children of everyone involved.
“There are people who want to see my back in cricket.
“When I turned on the radio today around 11 am, I realized how big news this was. Then it hit me. ‘Oh no, what if it had gone the other way?’ I thought. My work would be done.’”
Vaughan, along with Yorkshire, was one of seven initially indicted by the England and Wales Cricket Board last June.
These accusations follow the European Central Bank’s investigation into Yorkshire’s handling of racism allegations first raised by Rafiq in 2020.
The panel added that its findings on Vaughan “do not in any way undermine the broader claims made by AZR (Rafiq) this panel”.
John Blain, Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Hoggard and Richard Pyrah were found responsible for using racist and/or discriminatory language by the CDC panel.
It was determined that all five of them used the term “P***”. Gale and Hoggard were also found to have used the nickname ‘Kafir Rafa’ against Rafiq, and Hoggard used the phrase “icon black man” to refer to goalkeeper Ismail Dawood.
None of the five people attended the public hearing on this case, which was held in early March after withdrawing from the process. Vaughan appeared to give evidence to the panel.
The seventh, Gary Ballance, admitted to using racist and/or discriminatory language prior to the trial, while Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four rectified charges against them, including failing to draw attention to the use of racist and/or discriminatory language over an extended period of time.
Sanctions for admitted or proven charges will be determined by the board at a later date.
“Charges against seven of the eight defendants, including the widespread use of the word ‘P’, were upheld by the CDC today,” Rafiq said in a statement following the release of the verdicts.
“This comes in addition to other reports, panels and investigations that found that I and others were subjected to racial harassment and bullying while in Yorkshire.
“It was never about individuals, it was about the game as a whole. Cricket needs to understand the extent of his problems and solve them. Hopefully, the structures of the game can now be rebuilt and institutionalized racism can end forever. It’s time to reflect, learn and implement change.”
Urgent calls came in from names like TV presenter Piers Morgan. BBC to reinstate Vaughan, who was part of the company’s Test Match Special commentary team.
The BBC said the CDC panel took note of their decision and remained in contact with Vaughan throughout the CDC process, despite not having a contract with the company.
ECB chief Richard Thompson said the regulatory investigation and disciplinary process was “the most complex and comprehensive” the organization has ever undertaken.
“This has been an incredibly challenging time for our sport, but one where we all need to learn to make cricket better and more inclusive,” he said.
“When Azeem Rafiq talked about his time with cricket, he brought out a side of our game that no one should experience. We are grateful to him for his courage and perseverance.
“Given the nature of these cases, it took a clear toll on everyone involved. There must now be a time for reconciliation as a game where we can collectively learn and heal wounds and ensure that something like this never happens again.
“It is now up to the panel to determine what sanctions are appropriate where charges are admitted or confirmed. Now that we have made the decisions today, we will need time to carefully consider them.”