Yorkshire CCC hold their AGM.

Matthew Hoggard: ECB's Yorkshire racism hearings 'have failed everybody'..

ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/7117/production/_128515982_shutterstock_editoria.jpg

Former England cricketer Matthew Hoggard says the Yorkshire historical racism investigation and disciplinary process has failed everyone involved, including Azeem Rafiq.

Hoggard, who is facing four charges from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has withdrawn his co-operation from the process.

Rafiq first made claims of racism at Yorkshire in August 2020 and later called English cricket "institutionally racist".

Hoggard, who played county cricket for Yorkshire and Leicestershire, says he is on "good terms" with Rafiq, whom he called after seeing him appear on television in September 2020.

He told BBC Sport: "The process has failed everybody. Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with.

"Azeem [Rafiq] has a problem with it, all the respondents have, [former Yorkshire chairman] Lord Patel has, Yorkshire have. There has got to be a better way."

Hoggard is facing four charges of bringing the game into disrepute, centred on allegedly using racist language during his time at Yorkshire.

In his first interview since allegations were made against him, Hoggard added: "I'm pulling out because I don't think it's a fair process.

"There are no winners in this. It is not an admission of guilt. The people who know the truth, know the truth. That is all that matters to me.

"At the moment, whatever Raffa wants Raffa is getting," claimed Hoggard. "It is getting weighted towards one side. I, as a respondent, have not been spoken to by the ECB once."

The ECB said it "wrote to individuals to give them an opportunity to respond in writing before any charge was filed" and that "any respondent who requested we also speak to them was also spoken to".

Rafiq said that over the past two years he has been vindicated "time and again".

He added: "This has included a legal investigation that confirmed I was a victim of racial harassment and bullying; a Yorkshire-commissioned panel that concluded I suffered discrimination; numerous apologies, both public and private, from people who witnessed or were involved in this behaviour; and others have come forward to confirm the culture in the wider game."

In what Hoggard says will be his only public comments on the matter, he claims:

The investigation and disciplinary process has been flawed from the outset
The ECB is refusing to hand over evidence collected during its investigation, regardless of whether they would aid or damage his defence
His relationship with Rafiq is that of "friends" and does not believe his former team-mate set out to pursue individuals
The four charges against him are a matter of past "dressing-room culture rather than racism"
In a statement, the ECB said: "Individuals are entitled to choose not to participate in the hearings if they wish, but the cases will still be heard in their absence and we are satisfied that the disciplinary process in this matter has been both rigorous and fair.

"As with any case before the Cricket Discipline Commission, defendants are entitled to a fair hearing by an independent and experienced CDC Panel where they can call witnesses, and they can also challenge the evidence in support of the charge, including through cross-examination of the ECB's witnesses. It is entirely the decision of defendants if they choose not to take advantage of this opportunity.

"At the end of the hearing it is for the independent CDC Panel, not the ECB, to determine guilt or otherwise and any sanction."

Hoggard, an Ashes winner with England in 2005, was one of seven individuals charged alongside Yorkshire in June of last year following allegations by Rafiq of historical racism.

Ex-Yorkshire captain and coach Andrew Gale withdrew his engagement in the process soon after being charged.

Hoggard pulled out on Friday, along with ex-England all-rounder Tim Bresnan and former Scotland pace bowler John Blain

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, ex-England international Gary Ballance and ex-Yorkshire bowler Richard Pyrah are the others facing charges at a hearing of the ECB's Cricket Disciplinary Commission in March.

The CDC has determined to hold the hearing in public - the first time it has done so - following a request from former spin bowler Rafiq.

Hoggard gave a statement to the ECB after he was charged, but says he has never been interviewed as part of the investigatory process.

He claims the ECB contacted 56 witnesses as part of its investigation, but says the governing body is refusing to turn over all of the evidence collected despite extensive requests from Hoggard's lawyers. The 46-year-old also says there are specific dates attached to only one of the four charges against him.

"How can we defend ourselves?" said Hoggard. "How can anyone have a fair trial?

"The ECB have got evidence - whether it helps or hinders us - that they will not let us see. Why is this?

"This process has been flawed from the start, from both aspects. I feel sorry for Azeem if he doesn't feel like his voice is heard.

"It's not fair on anyone in this process. How come it has taken so long for it get here?"

The ECB said it has "followed proper process throughout, including complying with its disclosure obligations and providing material to the relevant parties at the appropriate time".

'Good terms' with Rafiq
Rafiq's first spell with Yorkshire, between 2008 and 2014, coincided with Hoggard's final years with the county before he signed for Leicestershire in 2009. Rafiq had a second spell at Headingley between 2016 and 2018.

His allegations of racism at Yorkshire were first made in an interview with the Cricket Badger podcast in August 2020, and Hoggard phoned Rafiq the following month. The two have remained in contact since.

"We are on good terms because we've never fallen out or had a crossed word," said Hoggard. "Our relationship has been that of friends for a long time. Azeem lost his way in cricket and felt like Yorkshire let him down.

"I've spoken to Raffa a few times. In one of his statements he said: 'I did not then and do not now think Matthew Hoggard is a racist person.'

"Azeem says I've got nothing to worry about on his first spell at Yorkshire. That is good enough for me."

Hoggard also says Rafiq called him after his first appearance in front of a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee in November 2021 to apologise for the work he lost and the damage to his reputation.

Rafiq told BBC Sport: "I was grateful to Matthew Hoggard for calling me to apologise shortly after I went public in 2020. It is regrettable, though, that these defendants are not willing to go to a public hearing and face what happened."

Hoggard does not believe Rafiq intended to pursue individuals, but says allegations "snowballed" and the "narrative" over what took place in the Yorkshire dressing room has changed.

Rafiq himself was reprimanded by the ECB in October of last year for a Facebook exchange from 2011 containing anti-Semitic messages. The messages came to light in November 2021, at which time Rafiq issued an apology.

The charges
Of Hoggard's four charges, three are in relation to evidence given by Rafiq, along with one concerning a nickname given to former Yorkshire player Ismail Dawood.

Hoggard is accused of calling Rafiq an offensive nickname from the day of Rafiq's first-team debut in June 2008 up to the point he left Yorkshire the following year.

Hoggard admits using the term, which is racially offensive in South Africa, where Hoggard had previously played.

However, he asserts that the nickname was given to Rafiq by other Asian members of the Yorkshire squad, using the meaning of a non-believer in Islam.

"Somebody called him [it]. I questioned it," said Hoggard.

"Raffa has admitted he did things in the past he wasn't proud of. He was called it by the Asians in the changing room. He didn't take any offence to it, he just laughed.

"I didn't come up with it, because it is a horrible name for someone in South Africa, which is why I questioned it."

Hoggard is also charged with use of a racist term during the 2008 season.

In addition, Hoggard is accused of using the term "you lot" as a pejorative term for Asian players in the Yorkshire dressing room in 2008 and/or 2009.

"Absolutely," he said. "I would say 'you lot' to any group. I would have said 'you lot' to the academy lads, 'you lot' to the batters - 'any danger of you lot scoring some runs today, any danger of you lot catching'."

Hoggard is also charged with using the nickname 'TBM' or 'Token Black Man' towards Dawood in 2004 and/or 2005.

Ex-wicketkeeper Dawood went on to become a first-class umpire and, along with fellow umpire John Holder, made allegations of racism against the ECB in 2020.

Hoggard claims that Dawood gave himself the nickname on Hoggard's stag do.

"He introduced himself as that to other people," said Hoggard. "It carried over to a season at Yorkshire. He was 'TBM' occasionally.

"He later said 'when it was said in the changing room, on the pitch or in passing, I questioned whether I was a TBM because of quotas and I wasn't good enough on the field'."

Dawood said this was "another feeble attempt to malign and ridicule" and was "simply not true".

He added: "The upcoming ECB public racism hearing will provide all parties a valuable opportunity, including Matthew Hoggard, to attend. I hope the attempts to discredit, rather than acknowledge and apologise, are taken into account when the CDC adjudicate."

Hoggard said the allegations are not a question of racism, but the culture of the dressing-room.

He also did not agree with Rafiq's claim that English cricket is institutionally racist and said he would not have behaved differently if given the opportunity.

"Nothing is off limits," he said. "If you wrote down everything that is said in a changing room, and read it, you'd cringe. On top of that, both society and recollections of events will have changed over the past 15 years."

In contrast, Rafiq has called the language used in the dressing room "racism and bullying". His forthcoming book is entitled 'It's Not Banter, It's Racism'.

Hoggard said: "If I thought that anyone was taking offence, didn't like it or was shrinking away, then it's not OK.

"If somebody was singled out, picked on and abused, if that changing room didn't realise it, it was a bad culture. If there was a divide in that changing room, it would have been noticed, but that wasn't the case."

In November 2021, the ECB announced a five-point action plan to tackle racism, including a review into dressing-room culture. That review was initially scheduled to be delivered at the end of the 2022 season but is still to be published.

Though Hoggard has not played first-class cricket since 2013, the ECB argues it retains jurisdiction over him by the terms of an undertaking to abide by the governing body's rules, which an individual signs in order to be registered to play.

The ECB claims that the terms of the undertaking are binding for life.

Speaking at the DCMS for a second time in December of last year, Rafiq said he had "been driven out of the country" by "threats and abuse" since speaking about the alleged racism at Yorkshire.

While Hoggard said he sympathises with Rafiq, he also spoke of the toll the allegations have taken on him and his family.

"When the allegations first came out, I didn't want to leave the house," he said. "I've been cancelled, people saying they can't afford to be seen with me. I've lost so much work.

"My family have taken a battering, especially my wife. I'm done. The people that know me, what I'm about, they know. That is good enough for me.

"I'm not taking part in a process that I feel isn't being conducted in a fair manner."

Yorkshire racism scandal: Process not 'open, fair or transparent' says ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah..

ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/CA23/production/_128574715__amg2295.jpg

ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/cpsprodpb/1581E/production/_128549088__am11131.jpg

Former bowling coach Richard Pyrah says the process relating to allegations of historical racism at Yorkshire has not been "open, fair or transparent".

Pyrah is one of five former players and coaches charged who have withdrawn from hearings to be held next month.

They were charged with bringing the game into disrepute after allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Pyrah said the process has been "badly handled" and the allegations "not appropriately challenged".

"Everyone at Yorkshire was treated as culpable without the allegations being properly investigated," said Pyrah, who also had a 12-year playing career at the county until 2015.

Only former England captain Michael Vaughan is set to appear at a public hearing in London in March after Pyrah, plus ex-Yorkshire players Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan and John Blain withdrew earlier this month.

Former head coach Andrew Gale said in June he would not take part, while ex-England batter Gary Ballance admitted liability in response to his charge and will not participate.

Gale and Pyrah were among 16 individuals sacked by Yorkshire in December 2021 in the fallout of the racism scandal, but later won an unfair dismissal claim and agreed compensation.

Rafiq first made claims of racism at Yorkshire in August 2020 and later called English cricket "institutionally racist".

He claims Pyrah dismissed his complaints of bullying and racism by other players.

Pyrah said the allegations have been "taken at face value" by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and outgoing Yorkshire chair Lord Patel, who he said he has not met before or after his sacking.

A spokesman for Yorkshire declined to comment, but told the BBC that Lord Patel had met Pyrah on 8th and 12th November 2021.

In his statement, Pyrah said: "When Azeem Rafiq initially made his allegations not one was made against me personally.

"During the ECB investigations I was never accused of, or asked about any specific racism point against me.

"Then I found I had been charged by the ECB on racism points I had never heard of, or questioned on, before."

An ECB spokesperson said: "Every individual who has been charged in relation to this matter was written to by the ECB with details of allegations against them and given the opportunity to respond to them, which they did.

"This was months ahead of any charges being laid in June 2022.

"Any individual respondent who requested the opportunity to speak with the ECB investigating team was also spoken to well in advance of the charges being laid."

When announcing he would stand down as chair earlier this year, Lord Patel maintained that dismissing those staff was "absolutely the right thing to do".

He added: "By instinct, I always want to take people with me on the journey. But some people wouldn't accept the extent of the problem or the need to change. We had to move on without them.

"It wasn't just about Azeem, either. I spoke to hundreds of people who had suffered in a similar way. But they won't come forward as they have seen what happened to Azeem.

"And it wasn't all institutional racism. There was some very deliberate, very conscious racism."

The ECB Cricket Disciplinary Commission will hear the charges in the individuals' absence from 1st-9th March.

After today’s news it gets worse. I’m not often right but I said in my first post on this thread that it’s always the cover up that gets you. How on earth did they think that deleting emails would save them?
They need to complete this public investigation and the subsequent report and then make their recommendations and make certain that Yorkshire CCC have an implementation plan. Then Yorkshire can start to recover. It’s good that the majority of county clubs have come out of this in a positive way. Not untouched obviously but appearing to have not had the problems that Yorkshire have had. Now I don’t really know why that is but the fact that some of the Yorkshire staff have refused to participate in the investigation makes it look like the problems lay squarely with the leadership team, the coaches and committee personnel.
I hope that any implementation plan will enable Yorkshire CCC to enter the 21st century!!

Yorkshire cricket racism hearing told 'Tim Bresnan used racial slur towards Azeem Rafiq sister'..

Day 1

ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/E0F7/production/_128819575_yorkshire.jpg

ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/cpsprodpb/10807/production/_128819576_bbc-sport-index-imagery-2-split-images-gradient-3d4126e5-ef2b-4b4a-8d41-94b18ee8bb44.png

Former England bowler Tim Bresnan used a racial slur towards Azeem Rafiq's sister, a hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire has been told.

Rafiq claimed Bresnan used the term towards his sister Amna during a media day at Headingley in 2014.

Bresnan, who is not taking part in the process, denies the allegation.

The claim was part of the evidence heard on the first day of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearing into alleged racism at Yorkshire.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also set out its cases against former England bowler Matthew Hoggard and ex-Yorkshire coach John Blain, who have both withdrawn from proceedings.

The ECB will state its cases against former Yorkshire head coach Andrew Gale and bowling coach Richard Pyrah, who will both not attend, on Thursday before moving on to former England captain Michael Vaughan, who is set to appear.

Rafiq said former Yorkshire team-mates Bresnan and Gary Ballance used the phrase in reference to his sister's Pakistani heritage when they saw her at the media day while she was on work experience with the county.

Ballance has previously admitted using the term. He has admitted liability in response to his charge and will not participate.

The allegation formed part of the ECB's case against Bresnan, who has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

The ECB's lawyer Jane Mulcahy, speaking at the International Arbitration Centre in London, said Rafiq also alleged Bresnan used the racial slur towards or about Asian women he found attractive from about 2014 onwards.

Rafiq also claimed Bresnan, 38, used the phrase to refer to an Asian woman who walked past them in a bar at a team hotel in Birmingham in July 2018.

Bresnan, who played 23 Tests and 85 one-day internationals for England, said he had never and would never use these terms.

In his initial response to the ECB and an interview with the governing body, Bresnan denied he had ever met Amna Rafiq. Later, he admitted he had seen her from afar when she was working at Leicester.

Bresnan, who withdrew from proceedings in February, also denied ever being alone in a bar with Rafiq.

The two other parts of the charge against Bresnan concern allegations he used the terms "the brothers" and "you lot" in reference to Asian players at Yorkshire.

Rafiq alleged Bresnan would regularly refer to him and other Asian players including England spinner Adil Rashid as "the brothers".

It is also claimed Bresnan used the term towards Rafiq, Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan before a Twenty20 match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in June 2009.

Vaughan is accused of saying "too many of you lot, we need to do something about it" to those four Asian players before the same match, which he "completely and categorically denies".

Bresnan said he had no recollection of asking "what are the brothers doing for dinner?" and said he was unlikely to use that phraseology. He said he did use the term "brothers" or "brother" but not in a racial context.

Shahzad said in his interview with the ECB that he did not hear Bresnan use racist terminology but he declined to provide a witness statement to the CDC proceedings.

Rafiq accused Bresnan of using the phrase "you lot" regularly, and specifically towards him and Rashid before a County Championship match against Derbyshire on 15 August 2012.

Bresnan admitted using the term regularly but denied it was in a racial context. He also said he had no recollection of the specific game against Derbyshire.

Bresnan is also accused of asking former Yorkshire player Moin Ashraf "why do you lot pray before you bowl?" during T20 Finals Day in August 2012. Bresnan said he asked because he was genuinely interested and denied using the phrase "you lot" as part of the question.

The ECB's case is that it is "more likely than not" Bresnan used these phrases in a racist or discriminatory manner, given Yorkshire have admitted a "systemic" use of such language during the relevant period, that Bresnan has admitted using the terms - albeit denying any racial connotation - and that others involved in the case have admitted using such terms.

In the ECB's opening submissions, Mulcahy took the opportunity to "correct a number of misrepresentations" about the disciplinary process she claimed had been made by Bresnan, Blain, Pyrah and Hoggard to the media.

Pyrah and Bresnan both claimed they had never been interviewed during the ECB's investigation, but the ECB said it has evidence to the contrary, namely interview transcripts.

Hoggard made a similar claim, but the ECB has evidence showing that after it initially wrote to him with the opportunity to provide written responses to the allegations made against him, he did so before informing the ECB he would not respond further, therefore denying himself the opportunity of an interview.

Mulcahy also questioned Hoggard's claim he was not invited to participate in the investigation into Rafiq's claims by law firm Squire Patton Bogg (SPB), which upheld seven of the 43 allegations.

She said emails from former acting chief executive Paul Hudson to Hoggard included attached emails from the investigation team to Hoggard, who denies receiving those messages. Hudson also reported the investigation team left a voicemail for Hoggard in March 2021.

What is happening in the hearing?
It has been more than two-and-a-half years since former Yorkshire spinner Rafiq first made claims of racism at the county, later calling English cricket "institutionally racist".

The hearing concludes on 9 March and the first day of proceedings, along with the following three days, are being held in public. The rest will be conducted in private.

A three-person panel will hear disciplinary proceedings brought against Yorkshire and seven individuals who were all charged by the ECB with bringing the game into disrepute.

The panel comprises CDC chair, lawyer and former Derbyshire batsman Tim O'Gorman, Mark Milliken-Smith KC - a lawyer with specialist knowledge of sports law - and Dr Seema Patel, a senior law lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.

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

Azeem Rafiq says he "clearly" recalls Michael Vaughan making an alleged racist comment in 2009 despite discrepancies in his evidence.

Ex-England captain Vaughan is 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 at Yorkshire before a T20 match.

At a hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire on Thursday, the cross-examination of Rafiq by Vaughan's lawyer focused on why the claim appeared with different wording in other statements.

Rafiq told an independent investigation commissioned by Yorkshire that Vaughan had said: "There's too many of you lot, we need to do something about it."

When asked by Vaughan's lawyer Christopher Stoner KC why there is a discrepancy, Rafiq said: "I don't have an explanation at all."

He added it was a "clear mistake" in his statement and interview with law firm Squire Patton Boggs during the initial investigation and he takes "full responsibility" for it.

However, he said he wanted to make it "very clear" that Vaughan did say the phrase "there's too many of you lot" and that is the "discriminatory" part of the comment.

"The comment on the day clearly stands out and it still hurts," he said.

He added the version of the comment "we need to have a word about that" is the correct one, which he first said in an interview with Wisden in August 2020 - without initially naming Vaughan - then repeated during the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigation.

Vaughan, who is set to give evidence at the hearing in London on Friday, "completely and categorically" denies the allegation.

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

The fourth player in the group, former England bowler Ajmal Shahzad has said he has no recollection of it happening prior to a match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.

Giving evidence via video link from Bangladesh, where he is playing for England in a one-day international series, Rashid said he had never been "pressured" by Rafiq into corroborating the allegation against Vaughan.

Rashid released a statement on 15 November 2021 via journalist George Dobell in The Cricketer magazine which, as Vaughan's lawyer pointed out, was "well over a year" after Rafiq's allegations were first made.

Under questioning from Stoner, Rashid confirmed he heard Vaughan make the alleged comment but does not believe he is racist and that it was a "poor attempt at humour".

In an interview with the ECB, a transcript of which was shown in the hearing, Shahzad said he felt Rashid was "being pressurised" by Rafiq.

Speaking of a conversation with Rashid, Shahzad told the ECB: "[Rashid] was very uncomfortable with where this was going. He wanted to nip it in the bud sooner rather than later because quite frankly he was uncomfortable with how much Rafiq knew about Adil."

He continued in the interview to say: "And at some point [Rafiq] was capable of, you know, using something that he knew about [Rashid] personally against him."

In his witness statement Rafiq claimed Shahzad "accuses me of having blackmailed Adil" but that is "categorically untrue".

Rashid denied any recollection of this conversation with Shahzad, and also denied claims made in a witness statement by former Yorkshire head of HR Liz Neto.

Neto alleged Rashid had been "distressed" during phone calls and indicated to her that he was being pressured to corroborate Rafiq's allegations, adding he had said he had told Rafiq "no matter how many times you tell me I heard it Azeem, I cannot remember hearing it".

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

The hearing revealed Rashid and "close friend" Rafiq had been business partners after opening a fish and chip shop in October 2021, which closed a year later.

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

Rafiq did not have 'courage' to speak up at time
During more than two-and-a-half hours of cross-examining Rafiq, Stoner attempted to draw attention to discrepancies in his evidence and highlight the difficulties of recalling events from "so many years ago".

Stoner referred to evidence Rafiq gave in November 2021 to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee hearing during which the former spinner said he had been called an offensive term.

Stoner suggested he had actually heard it being directed towards Rashid, and Rafiq admitted that was a "mistake" and that he should have "checked" the evidence that was prepared by his "wider team".

The hearing was also shown Sky Sports footage of the moment just after the Yorkshire team huddle, when the incident is alleged to have taken place.

Stoner suggested the footage showed "nothing untoward" had happened, but Rafiq said that while he did not think the comment was made in a "malicious" way he "clearly" remembered it.

Rafiq met with Vaughan on 26 November 2021, after the DCMS select committee hearing. He said he went into the meeting with a "positive mindset".

During the meeting, Rafiq says Vaughan apologised for the hurt he had experienced within the game - words Rafiq "trusted", even though the former England captain did not admit saying the alleged comment.

But Rafiq said Vaughan's subsequent actions, including an interview with the BBC, showed him he was "being naive".

Rafiq said he was particularly "upset" and "angry" about Vaughan's alleged comment because the 2005 Ashes-winning captain was a "hero" to him.

He said he did not speak out at the time because he did not want to "pay the consequences" of making a complaint against such a key figure in Yorkshire and England cricket.

He added: "I raised it when I had enough courage to raise it and what I feared is exactly what happened.

"In a way I wish now that I had had that courage to say it at the time.

"I carry the mental scars. Anyone who has ever spoken out the way I have will know how that feels."

The ECB's legal team is set to cross-examine Vaughan on Friday.

Or is it a case that MV is afraid of losing a rather lucrative commentary position that takes him around the globe at nil expense to himself 🤔

Yorkshire racism hearing: Cricket awaits judgement in divisive episode..

Never before has a judgement of the Cricket Discipline Commission carried such significance - as one of the most divisive and damaging episodes the English game has seen approaches a conclusion.

During the week of proceedings at the International Arbitration Centre on London's Fleet Street, former player Azeem Rafiq, the key witness in the Yorkshire racism scandal, said speaking out about discrimination meant "your life and career can be destroyed".

Defendant Michael Vaughan's lawyer used similarly stark language when describing how, for his client, "the shape of his life to come and his livelihood is at stake". Former England and Yorkshire captain Vaughan denies a charge of using racist language.

The CDC's sanction of suspension is irrelevant to defendants who are former players, as all but one of the seven individuals charged are. The other, Gary Ballance, accepted his charge but now plays outside the authority of the CDC in Zimbabwe.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could theoretically decide to ban the defendants from cricket grounds under its jurisdiction if they are found guilty by the CDC of using racist language and bringing the game into disrepute. But sanctions must be proportionate, and such a punishment is thought unlikely.

Perhaps more importantly, it is reputations that will hinge on the decision reached by the panel in the next three weeks.

Having stepped back from his BBC broadcasting career after being charged, the clear suggestion from Vaughan's own legal team is that his prospect of resuming such work will be dictated by whether or not the panel believes it is more likely than not that he said the infamous "you lot" comment 14 years ago.

Vaughan is 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 before a T20 match against Nottinghamshire in 2009.


A hearing that should have been avoided or long-overdue scrutiny?

Vaughan himself said this case could and should have been avoided. "This is not the right process to deal with word-against-word comments from 14 years ago. Ex-team-mates fighting it out over hearsay is a terrible look for the game," he said.

But others insist the transparency and accountability that this hearing has finally brought - and the scrutiny applied to the defendants, the ECB and key witnesses was necessary and long overdue.

Having admitted to all four charges they faced, Yorkshire - the most successful county in the history of English cricket - will hope they can overcome the severe financial challenges they now face, and the fines and/or points deductions they are handed, and finally recover from a scandal that brought the county to the brink of ruin.

But questions over its handling of this scandal, the decision to sack 16 members of staff in the aftermath of Rafiq's allegations, the way ECB charges were amended and accepted, and the mysterious deletion of evidence related to allegations of racism will remain.

There is much at stake for Rafiq too, of course, who himself received a formal reprimand last year from the CDC for "racist and discriminatory conduct" relating to historical social media posts.

His whistleblowing two and half years ago has been hailed by the ECB and many others who have and credited him with forcing cricket to confront its issues with racism, and its record on diversity and inclusion, but his evidence in this case was described by Vaughan's lawyers as "not sufficiently reliable".

This is a significant moment for current player Adil Rashid too, who corroborated Rafiq's claim via live video link from Bangladesh in between England matches, but whose evidence was again dismissed by the Vaughan side as "unreliable" amid suggestions he had been pressured by Rafiq.

And so all parties await the judgement. But with the burden of proof in this case based on a balance of probability (rather than beyond all reasonable doubt - as in a criminal case), it is highly unlikely that whatever ruling is reached will bring true closure.

The sport is also braced for the imminent publication of a landmark report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket that has received thousands of responses, and which is expected to draw some painful conclusions that the game has serious institutional issues with race, gender and class that must be addressed if current under-representation is to be tackled.

Last year the new ECB chairman Richard Thompson said he predicted it would be "a challenging moment" for the game, as he vowed to make cricket the country's most inclusive sport.

The disciplinary commission panel will announce its verdict this month. But the intense scrutiny on English cricket is set to remain.

I think you’re probably right lis about him being worried about his employment. I don’t blame him either if he was to lose his job as a commentator then he would be concerned, anyone would be. 

But I said earlier Bresnan, Hoggard, Pyrah and Blain are obviously not intending to seek employment within cricket because I’m sure the ECB will not allow them to be involved in any way in any formal /ECB/ICC cricket following their refusal to take part in the ECB investigation. They have more or less, imo, decided to take the consequences of not co-operating and I’m sure they realised that. They will be forever seen as possible racists, certainly bullies and have almost consigned themselves as such to history.

Michael Vaughan wants to be involved in cricket and decided to defend himself which, with his lawyer, he did as best as he could I think. There certainly seemed to be some confusion over his exact wording from his opponents though the overall impression of using the term “you lot….” didn’t look good. And the texts that were put on Twitter by him (I don’t do Twitter so I don’t know exactly what they were) were nasty as he himself admitted. I think he got the balance of his defence as good as he could, admitting he did post some unpleasant tweets but denying the direct accusation, and his lawyer was right in his criticism of the ECB. It did sound like a bit of a dogs dinner when the ECB initially investigated it. 

Now we wait for the end of the month for the report to come out. 

What about the other cases ?

Part of the hearing took place in public - a first for the CDC - following a request from Rafiq. The proceedings were delayed until this year after "a number of the respondents" appealed against the decision to hold them in public, but those appeals were all dismissed.

Hoggard, Bresnan and Blain all withdrew from the disciplinary process on 3rd February 2023, believing they would not get a fair hearing.

Pyrah withdrew on 7th February 2023, while Gale withdrew on 29th June 2022, calling it "tainted".

On the charges that were upheld, the panel said it was "satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the conduct as alleged occurred".

Matthew Hoggard

Former England bowler Hoggard was charged with using two racial slurs as well as referring to Rafiq and other Asian players in the Yorkshire squad as "you lot", which he denied.

He had previously admitted using a term that is racially offensive in South Africa, but denied any racist intent.

The panel found the allegation the 2005 Ashes winner used the term "you lot" not proved.

However, regarding the use of the other two racial slurs, the panel found the charges proved.

Tim Bresnan

Former England bowler Bresnan was charged with using a racial slur relating to Pakistani heritage towards Rafiq's sister Amna during a media day at Headingley in 2014, and subsequently towards other Asian women.

He was also accused of using the terms "the brothers" and "you lot" to specifically refer to groups of Asian players.

Two-time Ashes winner Bresnan denied all the allegations and said had never met Amna Rafiq, stating he had only seen her from afar when she was working at Leicester.

The panel said the allegations Bresnan used the terms "brothers" and "you lot" were not proved.

However, it found the allegation he used a racial slur towards Amna Rafiq and other women proved.

John Blain

Former Yorkshire coach Blain was charged with using a racist phrase to describe Asian individuals during pre-season training at Headingley in 2010, as well as on other occasions at Yorkshire during that year and 2011.

Blain denied the allegation.

The panel found the charge proved.

Richard Pyrah

Former Yorkshire bowling coach Pyrah, who withdrew from the process on 7th February 2023, was accused of using the same racial slur as Bresnan towards Rafiq's sister, as well as the term "you lot" towards groups of Asian players, both of which he denied.

As with Bresnan, the allegation Pyrah used the term "you lot" was not proved.

However, it found the allegation he used a racial slur towards Amna Rafiq and other women proved.

Andrew Gale

Former Yorkshire captain and head coach Gale was charged with using two racist slurs towards Rafiq throughout his time at the club, as well as using one of these racist terms towards Mosun Hussain, a Yorkshire academy player, in 2013. He denied the allegations.

The panel found both charges proved.

The BBC has contacted all five respondents for comment.