LONDON: Azim Rafiq was questioned on his two versions of alleged racist comments by former England captain Michael Vaughan during a hearing in London on Thursday.
Pakistani-born Rafiq, 32, first came to light in September 2020 with allegations of racism and bullying, relating to his two spells at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
He told Yorkshire’s preliminary investigation in 2021 that Vaughan told Rafiq and three other players before a match: “There are too many of you, we need to do something about it.”
But during the second day of the Cricket Disciplinary Commission hearing, Vaughan’s lawyer referred to a Wisden interview in which Rafique quoted Vaughan as saying: “There are so many of you, we need a word about it. It needs to be said.”
Rafiq said the second version was what he remembered, adding: “In terms of the statement, there was a clear error and I take full responsibility.
“I want to emphasize that ‘a lot of you’ is very clearly a part of discrimination against a group of Asian players. The other part is an action. There is clearly a contradiction.”
Asked by Vaughan’s lawyer Christopher Stoner why there was a disagreement, Rafiq replied: “I have no explanation.”
Asked how he knew it was Vaughn who made the alleged comment, Rafiq replied: “I know what that sounds like.”
‘Being played’
He was also asked about the November 2021 meeting in which Rafiq said Vaughan offered “an apology not an apology”.
“Michael left for Australia and his general conversation about it all was relayed back to me,” he added. “I felt like I was being played.”
ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy previously reiterated the allegation that Vaughan had made “excessive” comments on the outfield before the Twenty20 match between Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.
The players concerned were his Yorkshire teammates Rafiq, Rashid, Rana Naveed Al Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad.
Mulcahy said the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) said Vaughan had made the alleged comment and had “brought prejudice or disrepute to cricket”.
Rashid was called as a witness via video link from Bangladesh, where he is playing a one-day international series for England.
He reiterated his belief to the CDC that Vaughan’s comment was a “poor attempt at satire”, and that he believed the 2005 Ashes-winning captain was “not racist”.
An hour before the CDC panel, Rashid also insisted he had a “very clear recollection” of Vaughan’s alleged remarks.
Rafiq told British lawmakers in December 2022 that the abuse he and his family suffered had forced him to leave the UK.
Vaughn and former Yorkshire team-mates Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, John Blaine, Andrew Gayle and Richard Pyrrha face allegations of using racially discriminatory language.
Stoner confirmed that Wan, 48, denied the allegation and said the burden of proof was on the ECB.
He added that Vaughan’s biography made it clear that having four Asian players in the team “was good for Yorkshire cricket”.
Stoner emphasized that the allegation was “not really mentioned by anyone for an 11-year period”.
“Now, 14 years after the event, it goes against the word.”
Vaughan, due to give evidence on Friday, is the only one of the cricketers accused by the ECB of bringing the game into disrepute to attend the hearing.
The ECB laid charges against seven people and Yorkshire in June last year.
Another player, Gary Ballance, has already pleaded guilty to a charge of using racially discriminatory language.
Former England Test player Ballance now plays for his country Zimbabwe.
Yorkshire has also pleaded guilty to four charges.
