Adil Rashid mentioned he was by no means pressured by Azeem Rafiq into supporting allegations that Michael Vaughan made racist feedback throughout their time at Yorkshire.
Day two of the general public Cricket Discipline Commission in London bought underneath method on Thursday with the case of former England captain Vaughan after a brief non-public part within the morning.
Vaughan has been charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board as a consequence of allegations he mentioned “there’s too many of you lot” throughout a T20 match for Yorkshire in 2009 in the direction of team-mates Rafiq, Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved ul-Hasan.
England bowler Rashid dialled into the disciplinary listening to from Bangladesh, the place he’s concerned within the ongoing ODI sequence, on a video hyperlink and was cross-examined by Vaughan’s lawyer Christopher Stoner KC, who repeatedly requested the spinner about whether or not he had been pressured into supporting Rafiq’s claims.
In an interview with the ECB which was proven on the listening to, Rashid’s “close friend” Shahzad mentioned he thought Rashid was being pressurised.
But Rashid, throughout greater than an hour in entrance of the CDC panel, insisted: “No, no. Like I said before I wasn’t pressured by Azeem.”
Rashid first supported Rafiq’s claims about Vaughan’s alleged remark throughout an article with the Cricketer on November 15 with journalist George Dobell.
Asked if Dobell had pressured him, Rashid mentioned: “No, I was not pressured.”
Vaughan is one in all seven people charged by the ECB however is the one one anticipated to attend the CDC listening to and has denied the allegations.
During Rashid’s cross-examination, the England spinner was quizzed over the precise wording allegedly utilized by Vaughan over whether or not it was “there’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” or “there’s too many of you lot, we need to do something about that”, the Yorkshire participant was adamant over what he had heard.
“I have a very clear recollection actually,” Rashid mentioned.
“I think you already know the words. There’s too many of you lot.
“There’s too many of you lot, you need to have a word, you need to do something about it. It is the phrase there are too many of you lot.”
Like I mentioned earlier than I wasn’t pressured by Azeem.
Adil Rashid
Rashid said he was not offended by Vaughan’s alleged feedback however took them as “bad humour” on June 22, 2009.
While he couldn’t keep in mind the results of the match in opposition to Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge or the climate that day, Rashid did recall: “As soon as the huddle broke off, people were going towards their places, that is when I remember it being said.”
Vaughan’s lawyer Stoner cross-examined Rashid for greater than an hour throughout two sections of day two with the 35-year-old quizzed over claims by Rafiq that he had “memory failure” and on why he had no WhatsApp messages between him and Rafiq.
“I delete a lot of messages, it’s just a natural thing to do,” Rashid mentioned.
It was additionally revealed Rashid and Rafiq had been enterprise companions after they opened a fish store collectively in October 2021, which closed a 12 months later.
Rashid claimed that they had signed the paperwork and bought the keys “way before” something got here out relating to Rafiq’s racist allegations in August 2020.
He additionally refuted claims by one in all Vaughan’s witnesses, former head of human sources at Yorkshire Elizabeth (Liz) Neto, that that they had a dialog the place Rashid mentioned he was being pressured.
“I did not say that. I think she is confused with that situation,” Rashid mentioned.
ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy KC opened proceedings earlier within the day by repeating the allegation in opposition to Vaughan and mentioned the ECB contends that Vaughan made the alleged remark and due to this fact “caused prejudice or disrepute to cricket”.
Vaughan’s lawyer then confirmed the 48-year-old denies the cost and mentioned the burden of proof is on the ECB.
Stoner mentioned: “Mr Vaughan cannot recall precisely what he said but is clear the words used and in the context used are unacceptable.
“Mr Vaughan is adamant he did not use them.
“This panel will only have one contemporaneous document and one broadly contemporaneous document. The contemporaneous document is Sky footage where words are said to be spoken where the camera was close to players and broadcast.
“We say the entirety of that footage is inconsistent with anything untoward being said. The broadly contemporaneous document is Mr Vaughan’s autobiography and the fact it makes reference to that game and that the four Asian players who played is the start of things to come and good for Yorkshire cricket.
“The alleged comment was not said at the time and including at the end of the game where it would quite obviously have been discussed even between friends, even if it did not become formally reported.
“It was not in fact mentioned by anyone for a period of 11 years. Now 14 years after the event, it is word against word.”
Rafiq was referred to as to provide proof after lunch on Thursday.
The 32-year-old was requested if he mentioned the alleged remark with anybody on the day.
“No, as the comment happened I sort of looked at Adil and thought ‘did he really say that’ but it was not something that was discussed,” he mentioned.
“It made me angry at the time, it has throughout the years and it does today; he was a hero of mine,” added Rafiq, who was then requested if he was too anxious to talk out in 2009.
“From my point of view, as a young cricketer wanting to make my way, as we’ve seen when you do speak up, your life and career can be destroyed. Fear of that ever allowed me to speak up.
“That fear is very much there as a person of colour. Since I spoke out, it’s become very real.”
