Public hearing starts into Azeem Rafiq Yorkshire cricket racism scandal

A hearing into the Yorkshire racism scandal began on Wednesday, with former player Azeem Rafiq set to give evidence more than two years after making damning allegations about his treatment by an English county cricket club.

The initial meeting was held behind closed doors, but a live feed of the Cricket Discipline Commission's independent panel proceedings was due to be broadcast to accredited journalists later in the day. Pakistani-born Rafiq, 32, first made allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020 in relation to his two stays in Yorkshire.

In December 2022, he told a UK parliamentary committee that the abuse he and his family faced forced him to leave the UK. The England and Wales Cricket Board charged seven individuals with previous links to the county last June, with the club also charged. But the only accused individual yet to appear is former England captain Michael Vaughan. Former players and coaches Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Richard Pyrah and John Blain declined to be involved in the process.

The CDC panel will still hear the allegations against the five in their absence. Gary Ballance, also charged, has already admitted using racially discriminatory language and will not appear. A former England Test player, Ballance now plays for the country of his birth, Zimbabwe. Yorkshire confirmed last week that documents relating to allegations of racism against the club had been deleted under the previous regime.

Previous officials in Yorkshire were heavily criticized for their handling of Rafiq's case, with the ECB at one stage withdrawing the county's right to host lucrative England matches unless management changes were made. Rafiq claims Vaughan told him and a group of Yorkshire team-mates of Asian nationality that there were "too many of you, we have to do something about it" at a 2009 match.

Vaughan vehemently denies the allegation, but Rafiq's claim has been confirmed by current Yorkshire and England international Adil Rashid, as well as former Pakistan paceman Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.