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Michael Vaughan insisted that it was “inconceivable” that he would make the racist comment of which he has been accused by Azeem Rafiq.
Former England captain Vaughan began his defense against a charge by the England and Wales Cricket Board for using racist and/or discriminatory language in London on Friday.
Vaughan said the whole process was a “terrible look” for cricket and that he had tried to meet with Rafiq to come to an amicable resolution.
The indictment was read to Vaughan by ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy KC, who said: “Do you agree that the words ‘that’s too many of you, we need to talk about it’ are totally unacceptable?”
“Absolutely,” Vaughan replied.
Michael Vaughan has denied making a racist comment to four former Yorkshire team-mates
The incident was said to have occurred moments after a team gathered before a T20 match against Nottinghamshire in 2009 when Vaughan reportedly said, “There are too many of you,” to a group of Asian players, including Azeem Rafiq, before adding ” we need to have a word’
‘And racist and discriminatory?’ Mulcahy asked.
“Absolutely,” said Vaughan, who in his witness statement said: “I find it inconceivable that he would use the words contained in the indictment.”
Vaughan was questioned outside the Cricket Disciplinary Commission’s public hearing on Rafiq’s racism claims in Yorkshire.
The 48-year-old is alleged to have made the comment ‘you’ to four Asian teammates; Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad, moments after a team meeting before a T20 match in 2009.
“I have a very clear mind about, in 2009, that I know I didn’t say the words that I was supposed to say,” Vaughan said.
“If you look back at my history as a player, I don’t know when I would have walked onto a pitch and said something to my teammates that would have put them in a bad mood to play cricket.”
“That comment that I supposedly said would have put my teammates in a position where they couldn’t perform at their best.”
Mulcahy brought up a landmark 2010 Vaughan tweet about the 118 118 phone book service.
He wrote: ‘Why when you call 118 118 are all the people who answer foreigners… I can’t understand what they are saying… Annoying.’
‘Is this your tweet?’ Mulcahy asked.
“It absolutely is, and it’s unacceptable,” Vaughan said.
Rafiq and Rashid have said they felt Vaughan’s alleged comment was not intended to offend, and was likely just “moody”.
Mulcahy said: ‘I’m going to suggest that the tweets are similar to the comment. Lighthearted but offensive.
“I have to keep going back to my memories of that game,” Vaughan said. “You have three or four Asian players in the team at the same time, I couldn’t have been more proud.”
“The tweets you sent back then, do you think they would be offensive to Mr. Rafiq?” Mulcahy asked.
“Absolutely,” Vaughan said. “In 2021, when the historic tweets (appeared), I immediately disliked them and apologized for them.”
Asked by Mulcahy if he saw Asian players as different, Vaughan added: “I wanted to make sure they were loved in the field.”
‘I thought one of my main strengths was creating a culture, managing people. I’m a person who likes to lead people, make sure they’re in the right space, in the right mindset to deliver their skill. I have always done my best to make sure people are loved.
Mulcahy said: ‘But you’re also the person who sent those tweets?’
Vaughan replied: ‘Yes. But when I do something wrong I raise my hand and say I’m wrong.
“When I’m in a group, I wouldn’t say something that would put four of my teammates in a non-performing position.”
Vaughan arranged a meeting with Rafiq in November 2021 and recalled: ‘It lasted three or four hours. We had fish and chips (from Rafiq’s shop), they were nice.’
Mulcahy asked Vaughan why, if he was convinced nothing had happened, he would take the initiative to set up a meeting with Rafiq.
Vaughan said: ‘I felt like it was getting too big, hurting too many people. It hasn’t been easy for anyone, this.
“I don’t think this is the right process to deal with a 14-year-old word-for-word process. Whatever happens, this looks terrible in the game, a really bad look at how cricket has handled this situation.
‘I wanted to be a leader, I listened, I apologized. The message was “let’s work together.” This had reached a stage where it became too public, too media oriented.
“We have to expose discrimination and make sure people are held accountable, but I feel like having conversations, from that meeting, I thought we were on the right platform to work together and help each other, but that hasn’t been the case.” .
Vaughan and fellow former Yorkshire players Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, John Blain, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah face charges relating to the use of racially discriminatory language.
But Vaughan is the only one contesting the charges in person.
Hoggard has already admitted to using the ‘P*** word’ towards Asian players and Mulcahy asked Vaughan if he thought the term was racist.
“Absolutely,” Vaughan replied.
Vaughan was then asked about the time period in which he had been Hoggard’s teammate.
“It’s like ‘A question of sport’, this,” he joked.
Vaughan arranged a meeting with Rafiq in November 2021 that lasted ‘three or four hours’
Rafiq (right) and Rashid (left) have since said they felt Vaughan’s alleged comment was not intended to offend, and was likely just “sulking”.
There was a less jovial tone to Vaughan’s witness statement in which he referred to the toll he had been inflicted on being accused of making a racist comment.
“Being named and implicated in this matter has had a profound effect on me,” he said.
“My health and personal well-being have suffered greatly.”
Previously, Vaughan’s lawyer, Christopher Stoner KC, had criticized the ECB’s investigation of the case, saying it was based on “assumptions about assumptions”.