Paul Lunt, Michael Vaughan’s solicitor, takes the stand.
He is the final witness to be called. There’s a short chat, where Lunt is asked a few questions about how he obtained Liz Neto’s witness statement. He says Michael Vaughan gave it to him, but doesn’t know how he obtained it. He also confirms he interacted with the journalist George Dobell but a long time ago. However, the exchanges appear largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
And that, I think, is it for today in terms of the public hearing.
Liz Neto, the former Yorkshire HR manager takes the stand.
As she does so, journalists are given a copy of her nine-page witness statement. All bar two paragraphs are redacted.
What we can see is the following: “When the media furore was at its zenith, Mr Rashid phoned me on more than one occasion. He appeared distressed and indicated to me he was being pressured to corroborate allegations of racism then being made, even though he did not want me. He said to me, more than once, that he could not remember the particular comment he was being asked to say he witnessed, not anything racist being said in his presence.”
“Mr Rashid’s voluntary comments to me during telephone calls he chose to make to me are at odds with claims I have seen subsequently in the media, attributed to him, concerning racist comments observed or overheard.”
Under cross-examination by Jane Mulcahy, Neto is asked whether she really never saw any racism in Yorkshire cricket. “As far as I was aware,” she replies. “No one ever raised it with me.”
Do you accept now that from the admissions, that even though you were not present, racist language was routinely used? “I accept it was used given Mr Ballance and Mr Hoggard’s admissions, but not routinely used,” replies Neto.
Neto is next asked about Adil Rashid’s comments yesterday, in which he said Neto had misunderstood his comments to her about Rafiq pressuring him. Does she accept that she got it wrong? “Absolutely not.”
Maculy concedes there is a difference of opinion. And with that Neto ends her evidence.
Updated
