Azeem Rafiq, the key witness in the case, requested that the forthcoming racism hearing in Yorkshire be held in public, which the Cricket Disciplinary Commission has agreed to.
Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, was one of seven men accused in June by the CDC in response to Rafiq’s high-profile allegations of racism during his ten seasons playing for Yorkshire. The club was also held accountable for its handling of the situation.
Typically, English cricket disciplinary matters are conducted behind closed doors, but the three-person CDC panel chaired by Tim O’Gorman stated on Wednesday that the process will be public when it begins at the end of this month. At the directions hearing two weeks ago, Rafiq’s legal team and other media outlets presented their arguments.
Although the England and Wales Cricket Board has not yet released the names of the seven individuals charged under its directives and anti-discrimination code, they are believed to include Vaughan, the former England internationals Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, and Gary Ballance, as well as the former Yorkshire captain and head coach Andrew Gale.
Gale, who was one of fourteen backroom staff employees let go by Yorkshire last year, has already said that he will not participate in the process while maintaining his innocence. It remains to be seen if the CDC’s choice to make the hearing public encourages other defendants to do the same.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Vaughan’s cricket columnist is “glad for the proceedings to be held in public and will come to defend himself” against his solitary disciplinary allegation. Vaughan is reportedly determined to clear his name.
The 48-year-old was accused by Rafiq of telling four Asian-heritage colleagues before a Twenty20 match in 2009, “there are too many of you, we need to do something about it.” He has repeatedly disputed these allegations.
Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire leg-spinner who is in Australia as part of England’s T20 World Cup campaign, is anticipated to be a major witness in this case. In November, he provided a statement confirming Azeem Rafiq’s recollection of Michael Vaughan’s remark to a group of Asian players.
In addition to the next CDC hearings, the digital, culture, media, and sport parliamentary select committee will convene a new evidence session on December 13 to examine the sport’s response to Rafiq’s charges.
Stephen Vaughan, 47, is coming from another crisis-stricken club, rugby union’s Wasps, to become Yorkshire’s new chief executive. In addition, Darren Gough’s post as acting director of cricket has been made permanent.
