Vaughan loses BBC show after racial allegation
Vaughan’s implication in the saga came 24 hours after his former teammate Gary Ballance admitted he had used a racial slur in conversations with Rafiq.
Maksud HaqueCorrespondent
Posted - 2021-11-07T00:34:01+06:00
Updated - 2021-11-07T00:34:01+06:00
Michael Vaughan has been withdrawn from his BBC 5 Live radio show after a second Asian cricketer said that he heard the former England captain make a racist comment while playing for Yorkshire in 2009.
Yesterday Vaughan said that he is named in the 100-page report on claims of institutional racism at the county after allegations by Azeem Rafiq, 30, who had spells at Yorkshire from 2008 to 2014 and 2016 to 2018. Vaughan said that he was “gobsmacked” he was in the report and denied the allegations, relating to a match at Trent Bridge.
Rana, who was the club’s overseas player at the time, and was alongside Rafiq at Trent Bridge in 2009, confirmed he would be happy to give evidence to any inquiry.
On Friday evening it emerged the Equality and Human Rights Commission had made contact with Yorkshire requesting access to the full independent report into Rafiq’s claims and was considering whether or not to pursue action against the club.
In a statement, the BBC said it took “allegations of racism extremely seriously” and had taken the decision because the Tuffers and Vaughan Show focuses on topical matters.
“The allegation against Michael Vaughan predates his time working for the BBC, we were not part of the investigation conducted by Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we have had no access to the subsequent report,”—the statement read.
“However, we were made aware of a single allegation which Michael strongly denies and we have been monitoring the situation closely. —BBC added.
“We have made the editorial decision that Michael won’t appear as a presenter on 5 live’s Tuffer’s and Vaughan show on Monday. The show focuses on topical discussion around current cricketing matters and given his personal involvement, we need to ensure we maintain the impartiality of the programme. We remain in discussion with Michael and his team.” — BBC clarifies it’s decision.
“That the allegation came completely out of the blue and more than a decade after it was alleged to have happened made it all the more difficult to process,” he wrote. “I completely and categorically deny that I ever said those words.” — Vaughan’s reaction.
Vaughan also said he had been asked to take part in an independent panel that was investigating allegations of racism at Yorkshire in December 2020 but had declined to go having had just a few hours’ notice of such serious claims made against him.
“I take it as the most serious allegation ever put in front of me and I will fight to the end to prove I am not that person,” he said. “I have nothing to hide. The ‘you lot’ comment never happened. Anyone trying to recollect words said 10 years ago will be fallible but I am adamant those words were not used.”
“During the summer, I told my colleagues at the BBC that these allegations had been made against me,” he added.
“I felt uncomfortable that it could emerge and they would be asked some awkward questions. Similarly, I am speaking now because it is right for people to hear my side and that I completely deny the allegations.”
Vaughan’s implication in the saga came 24 hours after his former teammate Gary Ballance admitted he had used a racial slur in conversations with Rafiq.
The sports lawyer Richard Cramer told—BBC’s decision to suspend Vaughan from one episode of his radio show was not a surprise and would give them breathing space before acting. “In law a suspension is technically regarded as a neutral act,”
He said. “And it gives time for whoever’s making the decisions to go on a fact-finding mission. Organisations should not act as a judge and jury straight away when allegations are made against somebody.”