Yorkshire racism case: Vaughan cleared of charge

Before a Yorkshire match in 2009, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan was found not guilty "on the balance of probability" of using racial slurs. The 2005 Ashes-winning skipper was accused of calling a group of four Yorkshire teammates, including Pakistan-born Azeem Rafiq, of South Asian descent, "you bunch." The Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) stated in a report that, "on the balance of probability," it was "not satisfied" that Vaughan had spoken the claimed comments. It drew attention to "substantial differences" in the two crucial witnesses' accounts of what Vaughan allegedly said, Rafiq and England spinner Adil Rashid. But, it went on to say that its conclusions "do not in any way undercut the wider allegations" made by Rafiq. In its concluding remarks, the CDC report said: “This is not a case which necessitated a conclusion from the panel that anyone has lied or acted out of malice. Far from it. The panel had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), in light of all the evidence, was sufficiently accurate and reliable, on the balance of probabilities, to rule out mistake. It was not. ”Vaughan, who personally attended a CDC hearing earlier this month to respond to the allegations, stated that the procedure had taken a "toll" on him and his family and that hearing about Rafiq's experiences had been "upsetting."“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,” the 48-year-old said in a statement on social media. The former batsman, who has worked as a TV and radio pundit since his retirement added: “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. ”