Ex-Yorkshire players accused of racism by Azeem Rafiq may leave disciplinary process

The ECB refuses to release crucial evidence to former Yorkshire players accused of racism by Azeem Rafiq, leaving several of them on the verge of withdrawing from the disciplinary process.

Sportsmail has learned that lawyers representing the seven players, who include former England stars Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, have been repeatedly denied access to interviews and key witness statements by the body. rector.

Hoggard and Bresnan are understood to be so frustrated that they could formally retire this week, although Vaughan is determined to keep fighting and clear his name. The former England captain has not worked since he stepped away from BBC commentary duties last June after the ECB accused him of bringing the game into disrepute by using racist language towards Rafiq.

Several former Yorkshire players are considering withdrawing from the ECB disciplinary process after being accused of racism, my Azeem Rafiq (pictured)

It comes after documents requested by players last January were only released in October.

The disputed documents include an explosive interview of former England and Yorkshire bowler Ajmal Shahzad, who as the daily telegraph reported on Saturday to ECB investigators in December 2021 that Rafiq may have “pressured” English spinner Adil Rashid into supporting his racism allegations against Vaughan.

Several of the players are understood to have requested a copy of Shahzad’s interview last January, but the ECB did not provide it until October, just weeks before the twice-postponed disciplinary hearing was to take place.

“I wonder if he is right in what he says,” Shahzad told ECB investigators about Rafiq’s allegations.

One such document shows Ajmal Shahzad (pictured) claiming that Adil Rashid may have been “pressured” into supporting Rafiq’s accusations.

“I think there’s a lot of stuff that they might not know is going on, and it’s pretty murky and it’s not very… not good to be involved with.”

I think Adil is being pushed. He backed Azeem’s accusations two days before they went to a parliamentary hearing. Why? I can only think that some kind of external pressure was exerted on him.

Shahzad’s testimony echoes another written statement given to the ECB published by Sportsmail last month by a former Yorkshire staffer, who also suggested that Rashid had been pressured by Rafiq.

Rashid has denied being pressured in a statement issued by a spokesman.

“When the media frenzy was at its height, Mr. Rashid phoned me on more than one occasion,” the witness told the ECB. He seemed distraught and indicated to me that he was being pressured to substantiate the accusations of racism, even though he did not want to.

“He told me, more than once, that he couldn’t remember the particular comment he was asked to say that he witnessed, or anything racist said in his presence. He told me that he had told Mr. Rafiq: ‘No matter how many times you tell me I heard it Azeem, I don’t remember hearing it.’

Michael Vaughan wishes to continue the disciplinary process as he seeks to clear his name.

“Mr Rashid’s voluntary comments during the phone calls he chose to make to me are at odds with claims I’ve seen in the media, attributed to him, about racist comments seen or heard.”

Rashid has denied being pressured to support Rafiq.

‘Adil has been very clear about what he has witnessed and has not been under any pressure, as he has made clear in his statement to the CDC [Cricket Discipline Commission]’ said a spokesperson for Roulette England.