Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared “on the balance of probabilities” of using racist language towards his teammates.
Vaughan was alleged to have referred to the group of four Yorkshire players of Asian ethnicity as “you lot” before a T20 match in June 2009.
The verdict marks the latest stage of a scandal that erupted when Azeem Rafiq went public in 2020, saying he had been the victim of racial harassment and bullying across two spells at English cricket’s most successful club between 2008-18.
Vaughan was one of seven individuals initially charged, along with Yorkshire, by the England and Wales Cricket Board last June.
Among various allegations, which were heard in the British parliament and led to Yorkshire losing sponsors and briefly the right to host international matches, Rafiq accused Vaughan of saying to him and other teammates that there were “too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that.”
Writing on Instagram on Friday, Vaughan, who categorically denied the claim, said a disciplinary panel dismissed the charge against him.
“The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem's own lived experiences,” he wrote.
The Cricket Discipline Commission 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”.
It said its findings did not “in any way undermine the wider assertions” made by Rafiq.
“This is not a case which necessitated a conclusion from the panel that anyone has lied or acted out of malice,” the commission said.
“Far from it, the panel had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB, in light of all the evidence, was sufficiently accurate and reliable, on the balance of probabilities, to rule out mistake. It was not.”
John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah were found liable of using racist and/or discriminatory language by the CDC panel.
None of the five appeared at a public hearing into this case held earlier in March after they withdrew from the process. Vaughan did appear to give evidence to the panel.
The seventh individual, Gary Ballance, admitted using racist and discriminatory language prior to the hearing, while Yorkshire admitted four amended charges against them, including a failure to address the use of racist and discriminatory language over a prolonged period.
Sanctions on the admitted or proven charges will be determined by the panel at a later date.
Speaking on Sky News on Friday, Rafiq said he felt vindicated.
"Seven of the eight charges have been upheld. And most importantly, the one, institutional racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been proved," he said.
"From the offset I have been clear this is not about individuals and it’s very much about the wider game.
"I think it’s really important that at this stage now that everyone reflects, accepts that the government has not done anywhere near enough and comes together. The reason for me speaking out was for the game to get better for my kids and everyone else’s. And if people don’t come together that will be difficult to happen."
Vaughan's statement in full
"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.
"As with others who have spoken about their time at Yorkshire, I can only speak of my own experiences and of my own time there. The dismissal of the specific charge that concerned me takes nothing away from Azeem's own lived experiences.
"The hearing made public that Azeem and I met 18 months ago, well before the CDC proceedings came into existence.
"I told him then that I am sorry for his unacceptable, negative experiences at the club I love and in the sport I love. We had what I thought was a really positive and constructive discussion.
"We shook hands with a shared intention to work together in order to create positive change in cricket. For my part, nothing has altered in that respect. 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.
"Particularly with an issue such as this, CDC proceedings were an inappropriate, inadequate and backwards step. One of many reasons why I hold that view is because CDC proceedings are adversarial. They invite claim and counterclaim. They invite those involved to accuse each other of untruths or of lying. The inevitable consequence of the ECB's decision-making was that three former teammates, one of whom is a current England international player, were pitted against one another in what later became a public forum for the world at large to see.
"Despite being criticised by the ECB for not accusing others of lying, I remain of the view that no good can come of that approach. 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.
"Now that the ECB's charge against me has been dismissed, I want to thank the panel for their careful attention in very difficult circumstances and to thank all of those who have given me their support during an incredibly difficult period in my life."
