Yorkshire racism hearing: Azeem Rafiq feels 'vindicated' and has 'closure' after verdict delivered

A Cricket Disciplinary Commission panel found charges had been proven against five former players for discrediting the game using racist slurs and/or discriminatory language.

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared "on a balance of probabilities" of using racist language towards former teammate Rafiq.

Yorkshire had previously accepted four amended charges while former England batsman Gary Ballance also admitted the charge against him.

"I feel vindicated," Rafiq told BBC sports editor Dan Rouan.

"Seven of the eight charges were confirmed and, more importantly, one of the main reasons why I spoke was to highlight the broader issues through gambling and institutional racism at the YCCC.

"I think this has been proven over and over again."

He added: "J 've been pushed way more than I can handle over the past two and a half years. It was difficult in many ways, but the hearing was a closure for me. first made allegations of historic racism at Headingley in August 2020, later calling English cricket "institutional racist". .$paragraph-11">An independent investigation commissioned by Yorkshire confirmed seven of Rafiq's 43 claims in September 2021, while an ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) investigation - which began in October 2021 - brought charges against the club, Vaughan, Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah and John Blain.

Rafiq accused Vaughan of saying "too many of you, we need to have a word about it" to Rafiq and three other Asian players representing Yorkshire in 2009. The 48-year-old has "categorically" denied the allegation.

On Friday, the CDC panel said the case of the BCE against Captain Vaughan, winner of the Ashes in 2005, was unproven.

Bresnan, Hoggard, Gale, Pyrah and Blain all denied the allegations against them but, unlike Vaughan, withdrew from the disciplinary process and were not present at the hearing of the CDC at the London International Arbitration Center from March 1-9.

All counts against Gale and Blain have been proven, and some against the other three have been proven.

"For me, since on the first day, I tried to make sure it didn't get on the individuals,” Rafiq said. "I spoke about my experiences and what I went through. I did that openly from day one and it was corroborated by the players, coaches and other people present.

"Of course I'm disappointed [that Vaughan's accusation is unproven], I don't agree with all the findings but I respect them."< /p>

He added: "It was hard, really hard, but it got the game started to face the institutionalized racism that has been raging for decades and decades.

"Let's not be naive, we have seen that a lot of the cricketing community is still very hesitant to change. When you talk about racism, it will never be comfortable, it will never be a perfect path and it hasn't been. It's been hard on everyone ."

BBC pundit Vaughan - in a statement posted to social media ahead of the official release of the decision - said: "It has been both difficult and heartbreaking to hear about the painful experiences that Azeem has described over the past three years.

"The outcome of these CDC procedures must not be allowed to distract from the central message that there can be no room for racism in the game of cricket or in society at large."

Vaughan's lawyer Paul Lunt told the BBC Sport that there had been 'difficult and difficult times and dark times' for h...