Michael Vaughan racism charge dismissed as ex-England captain reveals ‘toll taken on family’ during year-long hell
MICHAEL VAUGHAN has revealed cricket chiefs have dismissed the racism charge against him in an emotional statement.
The 48-year-old had been charged with making a racist comment towards a group of Yorkshire team-mates by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The comment is alleged to have been made towards Azeem Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad before a match in 2009.
But England cricket icon Vaughan has now revealed he has been cleared of the charges.
In a post on his social media, 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.
“The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem’s own live experiences.
“The hearing made public that Azeem and I met 18 months ago. I told him that I am sorry for his unacceptable, negative experience at the club I love and in the sport I love.”
Vaughan concluded his statement by opening up on the “toll” it has taken on him and his family.
He said: “At times this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of live with cricket.
“I won’t address here the toll that it has taken on me and my family, but I have no doubt that is 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.”
The former batsman allegedly told Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Naved-ul-Hasan and Shahzad: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”
The ECB’s own statement read: “Michael Vaughan cannot refute the words because he cannot remember saying them. Instead, he asserts he would not have said those words.”
Vaughan also criticised the proceedings, writing: “Particularly with an issue such as this, CDC proceedings were an inappropriate, inadequate and backwards step.”