Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared “on the balance of probabilities” of using racist language towards ex-Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.
Vaughan was accused of saying “there’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” to Rafiq and three other Asian players representing Yorkshire in 2009.
The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) panel found the England and Wales Cricket Board’s case against Vaughan, 48, was not proved.
The panel said it was “not satisfied on the balance of probabilities” that the words were said by Vaughan “at the time and in the specific circumstances alleged”.
It added its findings “do not in any way undermine the wider assertions” made by Rafiq, who said English cricket is “institutionally racist”.
In its concluding remarks, the panel said: “This is not a case which necessitated a conclusion from the panel that anyone has lied or acted out of malice.
“Far from it, the panel had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB, in light of all the evidence, was sufficiently accurate and reliable, on the balance of probabilities, to rule out mistake. It was not.”
Rafiq alleged Vaughan made the comment to him, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad before a match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.
Vaughan – in a statement posted on social media before the ruling was officially released – said: “It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past three years.
“The outcome of these CDC proceedings must not be allowed to detract from the core message that there can be no place for racism in the game of cricket, or in society generally.”
He added: “I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket. I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept, or apologise for, something which I know I did not do.
“At times, this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of love with cricket. I won’t address here the toll that it has taken on me and my family, but I have no doubt that it has also been incredibly stressful for all of the others concerned. I hope that for them and for cricket, an inclusive healing process can now begin.”
