Key occasions
Mr Stoner begins by taking Rashid again to the day in 2009, when the incident is alleged to have taken place.
Was it a day or night time sport? “I can’t recall that.”
What was the end result? “I can’t remember.”
Do you bear in mind what number of wickets you took? “Zero”
Do you bear in mind what the climate was like that day? “No”
How did you get to the sport? “I must have driven”
A small comical second because the chair introduces Adil Rashid … and England’s Rob Key seems as an alternative. However he quickly gives option to Adil Rashid, who’s giving evidence via videolink from Bangladesh.
Azeem Rafiq’s KC, Jane Mulcahy, begins by exhibiting him his first witness assertion. Is it true, she asks. “Yes,” is the one phrase reply.
She then reveals him a second assertion dated 8 February 2023. Is that reply assertion true to the most effective of your perception. “Yes”.
Now, Mr Stoner KC, goes to ask Rashid some questions.
My due to the Times’ Lizzy Ammon, who captured a bit from Stoner’s opening assertion that I missed. As she factors out, he additionally posed to the panel the query about why, provided that Rashid stated the “you lot” phrase was used so loudly that the remainder of the staff would be capable to hear it, solely three of the opposite gamers have been spoken to and of them just one had the “you lot” allegation put to them.
Stoner additionally added that Vaughan was “disturbed” as to why he has been “singled out” after it’s alleged he used the time period on just one event. Stoner makes clear that Vaughan is evident racism has no place within the sport of cricket or in wider society – and that he’s clear he didn’t use the phrases alleged.
Short break. And with that now we have one other interval of some minutes …
Stoner is continuous to stipulate Vaughan’s case … He says that the Sky TV cameras on the match, the place Vaughan was stated to have stated these phrases, didn’t choose up something. He factors out that Vaughan’s autobiography, revealed months after the match befell, references it to say he was proud that so many Asian gamers have been taking part in for Yorkshire and it was an indication of the long run.
Stoner provides that they may also argue that there are issues with Adil Rashid’s evidence, given he solely gave it 15 months after Rafiq’s allegation was made – and says that there’s a “real issue” that strain was placed on Rashid to again Rafiq.
Vaughan’s KC additionally says that one other Yorkshire participant who backs Rafiq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, recollected the fallacious phrases and has not engaged within the disciplinary course of.
Finally, Stoner says one other Asian participant, Ajmal Shahzad, had advised the ECB that “Mr Vaughan was definitely not that way inclined” when it got here to racism or discrimination however Vaughan’s camp weren’t initially provided that evidence.
Christopher Stoner KC, counsel for Michael Vaughan, is now giving his opening assertion.
“The charge against Mr Vaughan is denied. When he first heard Mr Rafiq’s allegation he simply had no idea it was related to him. In fact, he contacted Nick Hoult of the Telegraph and suggested he speak to Mr Rafiq about his story [to find out who it was].
“Unsurprisingly given the passage of time, 22 June 2009 but he is clear that the words that are unacceptable and Mr Vaughan is adamant he would not have used them.”
Stoner says that his authorized staff will problem Rafiq’s recollection, particularly given it was 13 years in the past. He then quotes analysis about defective recollections inflicting “dramatic changes in recollection” – and says there might be a “failure of source memory”.
“There is no doubt that the burden of proof is on the ECB,” provides Stoner. “The more serious the allegation … the stronger the evidence before the panel that it occurred on the balance of probabilities.”
Michael Vaughan’s case up first
We are underway. And in a change to the schedule, it’s the Michael Vaughan case that’s up first on day two. Jane Mulcahy is at the moment setting out the ECB’s case, that Vaughan stated: “there’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” or alternatively “there’s too many of you lot” to 4 Asian gamers at Yorkshire County Cricket membership in 2009 and has triggered “prejudice or disrepute to cricket.” As she factors out, Vaughan denies the costs.
Day one recap
The CDC has already heard the ECB’s case towards three gamers on day one of many listening to.
The former England seamer Tim Bresnan was accused of three costs that the ECB considers racist and/or discriminatory, together with utilizing the phrase “Fit Paki and/or FP” commonly, together with to Rafiq’s sister Amna. Bresnan denies that cost and says he was not being discriminatory when he known as Yorkshire’s Asian gamers “the brothers” and “you lot” on events.
Another former England cricketer, Matthew Hoggard, was alleged by the ECB to have stated“You Pakis are all the same” and “you lot sit over there” when referring to Rafiq and different Asian gamers within the Yorkshire squad in 2008. The ECB additionally claims the bowler was being discriminatory when he referred to Rafiq as “Rafa the Kaffir” – a South African insult – through the 2008 season.
Hoggard has admitted to utilizing the P-word and “Token Black Man” however denied any racist or discriminatory intent. He additionally says he used the phrase “Rafa the Kaffir” to indicate an individual of Muslim religion who didn’t practise to strict conformity moderately than its extra abusive South African context.
A 3rd former Yorkshire participant, John Blain, was additionally alleged by Rafiq to have “used the word ‘Paki’ a lot and it was normalised language for him” and the panel was advised that others had additionally heard him use it. Blain has denied ever utilizing the phrase however was alleged by the ECB to have advised one other participant that utilizing the P-word was “similar to calling Australians ‘Aussies’”.
Jane Mulcahy KC, the ECB’s counsel, stated the widespread use of the P-word confirmed evidence of “a prevailing atmosphere at Yorkshire County Cricket Club at the relevant time in which this word was commonly used”.
“This is consistent with Yorkshire’s admission that it failed adequately to address systemic use of racist or discriminatory language over a prolonged period,” she added.
It is anticipated that we are going to hear the ECB’s circumstances towards Andrew Gale and Rich Pyrah first, which mustn’t take lengthy, earlier than we transfer onto Vaughan.
Preamble
The second day of the Cricket Disciplinary Commission listening to into allegations of racism in Yorkshire cricket is because of reconvene shortly, after a virtually two-hour delay resulting from authorized arguments behind the scenes. However it guarantees to be an explosive day provided that three of the important thing witnesses, Azeem Rafiq, Michael Vaughan and Adil Rashid are all resulting from given evidence.
It was Rafiq who first made public allegations of racism in Yorkshire cricket in 2020, which led to seven gamers and workers and Yorkshire being charged by the ECB of bringing the sport into disrepute.
One participant, Gary Ballance, has admitted to wrongdoing and subsequently just isn’t required to attend this listening to, whereas Yorkshire have additionally admitted guilt in the best way it dealt with alleged racism directed at Rafiq throughout two spells on the membership between 2008 and 2014 and 2016 and 2018.
Five others Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah have declined to take part as they consider they won’t get a good listening to however their circumstances are being heard of their absence.
However Vaughan, the previous England captain, has agreed to attend in individual – with the CDC resulting from study claims by Rafiq that Vaughan stated to the staff’s Asian gamers that there have been “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it” earlier than a Yorkshire match in 2009. Vaughan strenuously denies the allegation.
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