Michael Vaughan He must wait to discover if he has a future with her. BBC after a disciplinary board cleared him for using racist language Asia teammates
The accusation that the former England captain referred to a group of Asian players in Yorkshire as “you” before a match in 2009 was not substantiated by a Cricket Disciplinary Commission panel.
The 48-year-old made a personal statement through his lawyers and on social media, concluding: “At times, this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of love with cricket.
“I won’t talk about the damage it has done to me and my family here, but I have no doubt that it has been incredibly stressful for everyone else involved as well.
“I hope an inclusive recovery process can begin for them and cricket.”
Vaughan later revealed that he cried with relief when he heard that he had been acquitted.
“I just burst out crying,” he told The Telegraph. “It was a complete relief when the lawyer said he was acquitted.
“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.
Television presenter Piers Morgan made urgent calls for Vaughan to be reinstated by the BBC.
Vaughan was part of the company’s Test Match Special commentary team. But the BBC’s initial statement on the result did not confirm whether Vaughan would return either way.
“We note the findings of the Cricket Disciplinary Commission regarding Michael Vaughan,” said a BBC spokesperson.
“While we have been in contact with him throughout the process, Michael is not currently contracted with the BBC. We will not comment further at this stage.”
Paul Lunt, Vaughan’s attorney, of the Brabners law firm, told the PA news agency: “It’s no secret that (Michael) has had some dark and difficult times.
“It’s great to be able to get into a position where there is a closure right now and he, cricket and everyone involved can try and move forward.”
Vaughan was indicted after a trial. England and Wales Cricket Board Investigation into Yorkshire’s first handling of racism allegations made by former players Azeem Rafik in 2020
Vaughan said that dropping the charge against him “doesn’t take anything away from Azeem’s own lived experience,” adding: “The hearing that Azeem and I met 18 months ago, long before the CDC proceedings came to light, went public.
“I told him I was sorry for the unacceptable negative experiences he had at the club I loved and the sport I loved. We had a discussion that I thought was really positive and constructive. We shook hands with the common intent to work together to create positive change in cricket. From my point of view, nothing has changed in that respect.
“There is still work to be done and I remain willing to help bring about positive change in any way I can. Cricket has been my life.”
The panel found “significant inconsistencies” in how exactly two key witnesses – Rafiq and Adil Rashid – remembered the second half of the statement allegedly used by Vaughan in 2009. The first part of the alleged statement – “there are many of you” – was uttered taking into account all relevant evidence.
Vaughan targeted the disciplinary process as “inappropriate, inadequate, and a step back.”
He added: “CDC transactions are contentious. They invite claims and counterclaims. They invite those involved to accuse each other of untruths or lying.
“The inevitable result of the ECB’s decision-making process was that three former teammates, one of which was England’s current international player (Rashid), faced off in a forum that later became a public forum for the whole world to see. .
“Despite being criticized by the ECB for not accusing others of lying, I am of the opinion that no benefit can be gained from this approach. There are no winners in this process and there are better ways – there must be better ways – for cricket to move forward positively and effectively.”