England star Adil Rashid backs up Azeem Rafiq’s claims Michael Vaughan racially abused Asian Yorkshire cricketers
ADIL RASHID has said Michael Vaughan DID make a racially insensitive comment to a group of players with Asian heritage.
It is the latest dramatic twist to the Yorkshire racism story that is sweeping across cricket and now affecting other counties such as Essex.
England spin bowler Rashid corroborated claims by Azeem Rafiq that, while in a pre-match huddle before a game against Nottinghamshire in 2009, Vaughan said: “There are too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”
Three of the players - Rafiq, Rashid and former Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan - have now said they remember the alleged comment.
The fourth player, Ajmal Shahzad, head coach at the MCC, has suggested he does not recall the incident.
Ashes-winning captain Vaughan has “completely and categorically” denied saying the words.
The intervention of Rashid, a 2019 World Cup winner and key member of England’s recent T20 World Cup squad, is a significant development because of his profile within the game and the respect with which he is held.
He released a statement to the , which said: “Racism is a cancer in all walks of life and unfortunately in professional sports, too, and is something which of course has to be stamped out.
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“I wanted to concentrate as much as possible on my cricket and to avoid distractions to the detriment of the team but I can confirm Azeem Rafiq’s recollection of Michael Vaughan’s comments to a group of us Asian players.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that a parliamentary committee seems to be trying to improve the situation, whether that’s holding people accountable or getting changes made at an institutional level.
“These can only be positive developments. I will of course be more than happy to support any official efforts when the time is right.
“For now, though, these matters are of an intensely personal nature and I will not be commenting on them further. I ask you to respect my privacy and allow me to focus on my cricket.
“I want to thank the ECB, the fans and especially my teammates for all of their support.
"We didn’t get the result we wanted in this World Cup, but I hope that the unity of our dressing room and the leadership of our captain will propel us forward to achieve what we deserve in the future.”
Rafiq is due to speak before a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Tuesday and could name other high-profile players.
Rafiq’s one-time best friend Gary Ballance has already admitted he used the word “P***” in what he believed was verbal jousting between the pair.
Rafiq reacted angrily last week to Test skipper Joe Root’s assertion that he could not remember any racist incidents or comments at Yorkshire. Rafiq wrote on Twitter that he was “incredibly hurt”.
Vaughan has already been stood down by the BBC from his Radio 5 Live programme the Tuffers and Vaughan Show.
He is due to commentate on this winter’s Ashes series with BT Sport, who have the UK rights, taking a feed from Fox Sports in Australia, for whom Vaughan is working.
Vaughan said in a statement: "I categorically deny saying the words attributed to me by Azeem Rafiq and want to re-state this publicly because the 'you lot' comment simply never happened.
"Anyone who has viewed the Sky footage of Yorkshire's pre-match huddle at the game in question in June 2009, and the interaction between the players, would find it hard to reconcile those scenes with the version of events that has been presented.
"I remember the match clearly because it was the first time in Yorkshire's history that four players of Asian heritage had been selected in the same team. It was an important milestone for the county and it was also a moment of pride for me personally.
"At the time, I was a senior professional nearing the end of my career, but, having been the first non-Yorkshire born player signed by the county, it was also a sign of the progress that had been made during my time.
"I made a point of shaking all four players' hands that day because I recognised it was a significant moment.
"In 2009, only weeks later, I wrote enthusiastically about this specific match in my autobiography, saying: 'This is going to be the shape of things to come for Yorkshire, as many of our most promising players come from the Asian community and it ought to be a good thing for our cricket'.
"Given my view that the inclusion of Asian players in the Yorkshire team was a very positive and welcome development, it is inconceivable I would have made the derogatory comment attributed to me.
"It goes against everything that I have always believed; it goes against what I expressly said in my book only weeks later; and it goes against the Sky footage showing me specifically congratulating each of the players concerned.
"I have been lucky enough to enjoy a 30-year career in cricket, both as a player and a commentator, and I have never been accused of anything remotely similar.
"To be confronted with this allegation 11 years after it has supposed to have happened is the worst thing I have ever experienced.
"It is extremely upsetting that this completely false accusation has been made against me by a former team-mate, apparently supported by two other players.
"For some time, Ajmal Shahzad has been on record as saying that he never heard me say what has been suggested. I have been in contact with the six other players from that team and not one of them has any recollection of the remark being made.
"I fully accept that perspectives differ, and I have great sympathy for what Azeem Rafiq has gone through, but I hope everyone understands why I cannot allow this to go unchallenged or my reputation to be trashed unfairly."
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