Ashes-winning former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan says the racism charge against him has been dismissed.
The 48-year-old had been accused by the England and Wales Cricket Board of making a derogatory comment towards a group of Yorkshire teammates of Asian ethnicity before a match in 2009, including Azeem Rafiq who first spoke out in 2020 about the discrimination he suffered during two stints with the county.
The former batsman allegedly told them: “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”
He had always categorically denied using racist language towards Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad.
He appeared in person at a Cricket Discipline Commission hearing which was held in public in London earlier this month to defend himself.
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.
“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 added: “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.”
Five others were also accused – former Test stars Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, ex-Yorkshire coaches Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah and former Scotland international John Blain.
Unlike Vaughan, they had indicated prior to the hearing they would not participate, with the allegations against them heard in their absence.
The charges, brought in June last year, stemmed primarily from allegations made by Rafiq, the former Yorkshire bowler.
Yorkshire accepted in 2021 Rafiq had been the victim of racial harassment and bullying, but a month later said no individuals would face disciplinary action as a consequence.
The county has admitted four charges, including a failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language at the club over a prolonged period.
A seventh individual, former Yorkshire and England batsman, Gary Ballance, has also admitted using racist and/or discriminatory language.
Vaughan has lost work as a television pundit because of the case and his lawyer, Christopher Stoner KC, told the panel earlier this month the shape of his client’s “life and livelihood” were at stake.
He described the ECB’s investigation in relation to his client as “wholly inadequate”,
Paul Lunt of law firm Brabners, which represented Vaughan said: “While circumstances surrounding these proceedings have uncovered some uncomfortable truths for the game of cricket, we’re pleased to have played a role in addressing the narrow and specific charge against Michael, which we have regarded as misguided from the outset.”