Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared of using racist language to ex-Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq. A Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) announced the findings "on the balance of probabilities" today.
Vaughan was accused of saying "there's too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that" to a group of Asian players before a match in 2009. The CDC panel concluded that the case against the 48-year-old was not proved after a three-week hearing.
Vaughan responded to the news by saying that there are "no winners in this process". Five others accused were found by the panel to have used racist and/or discriminatory language - former Test stars Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, ex-Yorkshire coaches Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah and former Scotland international John Blain.
Vaughan - who was the only respondent to appear at the hearing after the others withdrew - strongly denied the allegations against him. The panel said it was "not satisfied on the balance of probabilities" that the words were said by Vaughan "at the time and in the specific circumstances alleged".
In its decision the panel said there had been "significant inconsistencies" in the evidence of the main witnesses, Rafiq and Rashid, and found the case against Vaughan "not proved".
Responding to those verdicts, Azeem Rafiq said: "The issue has never been about individuals but the game as a whole. Cricket needs to understand the extent of its problems and address them."
Vaughan wrote on social media on Friday: "It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past three years.
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"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.
He added: "The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem's own lived experiences."
Branding the proceedings an "inappropriate, inadequate, and backwards step", he said: "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.
"I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket. I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept or apologise for, something which I know I did not do.
"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."
Ashes-winning captain Vaughan led England in 51 Test matches between 2003 and 2008. There is now a 14-day window in which parties can appeal the findings.
