Racism row burns Vaughan and Root as Ashes loom
Former and current stars of English cricket Michael Vaughan and Joe Root are both facing challenges to their reputations on the eve of the Ashes.
A racism row is challenging former and current stars of English cricket on the eve of the Ashes, with former Test captain Michael Vaughan vigorously defending himself over an alleged incident at in 2009 and fellow Yorkshire player Joe Root facing criticism for his response to the allegations.
A parliamentary committee will interview England Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison and Yorkshire chair Roger Hutton as it examines the fallout from a fumbled inquiry into failings at the county.
The controversy centres around allegations of systematic racism at the county. Vaughan is accused of telling four players of colour before a game at Nottinghamshire that there were “too many of your lot, we need to do something about it”.
Vaughan has emphatically denied the claim and is understood to be devastated by the allegations.
The 47-year-old outed himself in a newspaper column as a person named in the report and denied making the comment.
However, he came under further scrutiny this week after England international Adil Rashid — one of the four players — backed Azeem Rafiq’s claims.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who also played in the match, had earlier backed Rafiq’s version of events.
Vaughan, who will be in Australia to commentate for Fox Cricket this summer, defended himself a second time this week, pointing to video of the match and comments in a book he wrote at the time.
“I categorically deny saying the words attributed to me by Azeem Rafiq and want to restate this publicly because the ‘you lot’ comment simply never happened,” he said.
“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.
“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.”
Vaughan said the “inclusion of Asian players in the Yorkshire team was a very positive and welcome development” and it is “inconceivable I would have made the derogatory comment attributed to me”.
“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,” he said. “To be confronted with this allegation 11 years after it has supposed to have happened is the worst thing I have ever experienced.”
Rashid’s intervention in the controversy is a significant development, given he is still playing for England.
“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,” the World Cup player said in his statement.
“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 comment to a group of us Asian players.”
While there have been no accusations against Root, English newspapers are reporting that Rafiq was upset at his initial silence around the allegations and the nature of a statement condemning it when he did.
Journalists had been instructed not to ask about the incident in press conferences when Root landed in Australia. When asked, he said he didn’t witness any racism at Yorkshire but accepted it occurred and was adamant in his condemnation of racism.
Rafiq was not happy with the response from his former teammate.
“Disappointed is not even the feeling,” he tweeted. “Incredibly hurt. But uncomfortable truths are hard to accept it seems.”
Yorkshire has been suspended from hosting any international cricket by the ECB over its handling of the initial reports
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