The dismissal of the charges of racism against former England captain Michael Vaughan has brought a partial end to one of the most divisive crises the game has ever faced.
But Vaughan has taken the ECB and the process involving the Cricket Discipline Commission to task over the way it has pitted former teammates against each other with a huge toll taken on the individuals and their families.
For Vaughan personally it is a verdict drenched in relief and satisfaction that he has not been found, on the balance of probabilities, to have uttered the alleged phrase ‘there’s too many of you lot’ in reference to four Asian teammates at Yorkshire in 2009.
But it is hard to describe him as a winner in this instance. There have been precious few winners in this saga, bar perhaps the legal teams that did the best jobs they could for their clients.
Vaughan himself agreed in his social media post that read: “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.
“Particularly with an issue such as this, CDC proceedings were an inappropriate, inadequate and backwards step. They invite claim and counterclaim.
“They invite those involved to accuse each other of untruths or of lying. I remain of the view that no good can come of that approach.”
While Vaughan’s guilt has not been proven, it is important to note Azeem Rafiq's version of events more generally at Yorkshire have not been dismissed by the CDC panel, rather this specific case was neither “sufficiently accurate nor reliable.”
Indeed in every other case the panel considered, at least some part of the charges were proven, which means there is guilt on the part of Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah and John Blain for the racist and discriminatory language they used.
They have 14 days to appeal the CDC panel decision, although with none of these respondents turning up to defend themselves in the process it remains to be seen whether they will engage now.
For Vaughan though, the most high profile of the respondents as the 2005 Ashes winning captain, this verdict can allow him to continue to play a prominent role in the game as he has done for so long.
And this is where the challenge now lies for Vaughan. It is surely heartening to hear Vaughan’s commitment to eradicating racism from the game and his desire to help move the game forward in a positive way.
He said: “There is still a job to do and I remain keen to help bring about positive change in any way that I can. Cricket has been my life.
“I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket. 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.”
But these cannot be empty words and empty promises from a man who may not have actively contributed to a toxic dressing room culture at Yorkshire CCC, but did little to challenge it.
This is his chance now to be an agent of change and to use his profile and standing in the game to heal the wounds opened by this episode and to bring people along together. It is impossible to change the past but by learning from it, Vaughan and others in positions of power have the tools to affect the future and that is the good that can come from this.
Vaughan’s actions on the field during his career and his personality off the field means that he has a huge following of so many cricket fans across all nations and races, and this is a following that he put to great use for the good of the game.
He is as passionate as anyone about the game and the people that play it and watch it, and that energy has to be an asset. Otherwise, what was the point?
