Azeem Rafiq: Michael Vaughan named in report but former England captain denies claims of racism

Former England and Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan has admitted he was named in the Azeem Rafiq report — but firmly denied the claims of racism made against him.

Vaughan, 47, played for Yorkshire his entire career from 1993 to 2009, before moving into an advisory role at the club after retiring.

On Thursday night he revealed his involvement in the report into alleged racism at the county, which claimed that he told a group of Yorkshire players with Asian heritage — including Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Pakistan’s Rana Naved — that there were ‘too many of you lot, we need to do something about it’. 

But Vaughan denied the claims, writing in his Telegraph column: ‘In December 2020 I was asked to speak to the independent panel formed by Yorkshire to investigate Rafiq’s claims.

‘The night before I was due to give evidence, out of the blue, I was hit with the news that Rafiq was alleging that in 2009 before a Yorkshire match against Nottinghamshire, I had said to Rafiq and two other Asian players as we walked on to the field together that there are “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it”.

‘This hit me very hard. It was like being struck over the head with a brick. I have been involved in cricket for 30 years and never once been accused of any remotely similar incident or disciplinary offence as a player or commentator. 

‘I completely and categorically deny that I ever said those words.’ 

Vaughan also denied a second claim in the report, that in his post-playing days he had advised Yorkshire chiefs in front of Rafiq that they should sign New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson due to his ability to bowl off-spin.

Rafiq claimed in the report that this was racism, intended as a direct threat to his own place in the team as a frontline spinner, with Williamson only a very occasional bowler. ‘It is because of my race, colour, ethnic origin, that Michael Vaughan made the comments that he did,’ said Rafiq.

Vaughan responded on Thursday night: ‘I would never have said that in front of a group. I saw the way Williamson played in Twenty20 cricket and recognised that we needed three-dimensional cricketers in our top four who could score runs, bowl overs and field well.

‘Never have I discriminated against anyone or judged a player based on race. All I ask and all I have ever asked is, “how can we improve as a team?”

‘By suggesting Yorkshire sign Williamson I was attempting to improve the team and my cricket knowledge suggests that was the right call.’

Vaughan, the second individual to reveal he is part of the report after Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, said he is keen to meet Rafiq to discuss the claims.

‘In time, I am more than happy to meet with Azeem,’ he said. ‘I would welcome it. I would like to sit with him, listen to what he went through and understand his perspective.

‘It has been very hard for me to communicate with him directly for legal reasons but I hope we can now talk in person and understand each other’s point of view.’