Michael Vaughan has slammed the whole process surrounding Azeem Rafiq’s accusations that he used racist language, calling it a “terrible look for the game.”
Vaughan answered questions for over an hour under cross examination in London in a bid to clear his name and have the charge against him dismissed. And in addition to pointing to an unblemished record as a player and captain when it came to dealing with others, he lashed out at the way he claimed the whole situation had escalated out of control and had caused too much hurt on both sides.
Vaughan referred in particular to the meeting he had with Rafiq after being charged, in which he explained he had thought a good old-fashioned chat might sort things out.
“I felt the whole situation was escalating out of control,” said Vaughan. “I saw what was happening to Azeem and I could see what it was doing to me and my family.
“It is old-fashioned, but I’ve always thought it best to speak to someone and see if we can sort it out face to face. I felt it was getting too big and hurting too many people. I don't think this is the right process to deal with a word v word comment from 14 years ago.
“It's not been good for anybody. Having team-mates fight it out in public. It's a terrible look for the game.”
There was a brief moment of levity when Vaughan made a quip about answering questions as if on a Question of Sport, but the seriousness of the issues were soon back on the agenda.
On a day when Rafiq was also accused of claiming he would use ‘the race card’ by PCA representative at the time Matthew Wood, cricket was again dragged through the mud.
Wood’s written statement claimed that Rafiq twice suggested he would use the tactic, firstly if Yorkshire failed to give him a new contract, and then over applying for an ECB level 4 coaching course after the deadline.
The ECB’s legal team then showed that Rafiq had in fact applied within time and in the proper way.
ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy told the hearing Wood hadn't made reference to Rafiq 'using the race card' when talking to Yorkshire investigators or the employment tribunal involving Rafiq.
Wood’s statement also claimed that Rafiq had told him on a call ‘someone has to pay’ when it came to the situation, although he did not specify who or how, before crying at length.
The 48-year-old Vaughan claims that he never once heard the use of the ‘P’ word in the Yorkshire dressing room despite Matthew Hoggard initially admitting in these proceedings it was regularly used in group chats he was involved in.
And far from having an issue with the Asian players at the club, Vaughan was at pains to show that he thought their presence in the same team was a ‘special day for the club.’
He added: “I took the responsibility to shake the hands of the Asian players because it was special. I was so proud of how far my cricket club had come.
“I loved young players coming into any environment I played in, and I thought one of my main strengths was creating a culture and managing people. I’m always going out of my way to make sure people are loved.”
Before Vaughan’s evidence, the ECB director of legal and integrity Meena Botros admitted their investigation had not spoken to all the players involved on the day in the team huddle, nor had they spoken to the Sky cameraman who may have been within earshot.
