Yorkshire cricket racism hearing: Rafiq 'clearly' recalls alleged Vaughan comment

Azeem Rafiq arrives astatine the proceeding connected Thursday

Azeem Rafiq says helium "clearly" recalls Michael Vaughan making an alleged racist remark successful 2009 contempt discrepancies successful his evidence.

At a proceeding into allegations of racism astatine Yorkshire connected Thursday, the cross-examination of Rafiq by Vaughan's lawyer focused connected wherefore the assertion appeared with antithetic wording successful different statements.

Rafiq told an autarkic probe commissioned by Yorkshire that Vaughan had said: "There's excessively galore of you lot, we request to bash thing astir it."

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When asked by Vaughan's lawyer Christopher Stoner KC wherefore determination is simply a discrepancy, Rafiq said: "I don't person an mentation astatine all."

He added it was a "clear mistake" successful his connection and interrogation with instrumentality steadfast Squire Patton Boggs during the archetypal probe and that helium takes "full responsibility" for it.

However, helium said helium wanted to marque it "very clear" that Vaughan did accidental the operation "there's excessively galore of you lot" and that is the "discriminatory" portion of the comment.

"The remark connected the time intelligibly stands retired and it inactive hurts," helium said.

He added the mentation of the remark "we request to person a connection astir that" is the close one, which helium archetypal said successful an interrogation with Wisden successful August 2020 - without initially naming Vaughan - past repeated during the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigation.

Vaughan, who is acceptable to springiness grounds astatine the proceeding connected Friday, "completely and categorically" denies the allegation.

England spinner Adil Rashid and erstwhile Yorkshire and Pakistan bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan person corroborated the allegation.

The 4th subordinate successful the group, erstwhile England bowler Ajmal Shahzad had said helium has nary recollection of it.

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Rashid 'not pressured' by Rafiq

Adil Rashid gave grounds via video nexus from Bangladesh

Giving grounds via video nexus from Bangladesh, wherever helium is playing for England successful a one-day planetary series, Rashid said helium had ne'er been "pressured" by Rafiq into corroborating the allegation against Vaughan.

Rashid released a connection connected 15 November 2021 via writer George Dobell successful The Cricketer mag which, arsenic Vaughan's lawyer pointed out, was "well implicit a year" aft Rafiq's allegations were archetypal made.

Under questioning from Stoner, Rashid confirmed helium heard Vaughan marque the alleged remark but does not judge helium is simply a racist and that it was a "poor effort astatine humour".

In an interrogation with the ECB, a transcript of which was shown successful the hearing, Shahzad said helium felt Rashid was "being pressurised" by Rafiq.

Speaking of a speech with Rashid, Shahzad told the ECB: "[Rashid] was precise uncomfortable with wherever this was going. He wanted to nip it successful the bud sooner alternatively than aboriginal due to the fact that rather frankly helium was uncomfortable with however overmuch Rafiq knew astir Adil."

He continued successful the interrogation to say: "And astatine immoderate constituent [Rafiq] was susceptible of, you know, utilizing thing that helium knew astir [Rashid] personally against him."

Rashid denied immoderate recollection of this conversation, and besides denied claims made successful a witnesser connection by erstwhile Yorkshire caput of HR Liz Neto.

Neto alleged Rashid had been "distressed" during telephone calls and indicated to her that helium was being pressured to corroborate Rafiq's allegations, adding helium had said helium had told Rafiq "no substance however galore times you archer maine I heard it Azeem, I cannot retrieve proceeding it".

"I did not accidental that. I deliberation she is confused with that situation," Rashid told the hearing, repeatedly stating helium "wasn't pressured by Azeem".

The proceeding revealed Rashid and Rafiq had been concern partners aft opening a food and spot store successful October 2021, which closed a twelvemonth later.

However, Rashid said they signed paperwork and got the keys "way before" immoderate of Rafiq's allegations came to airy successful August 2020.

More to follow.

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