Vaughan dropped from BBC show after allegations of racism

PTI, Nov 6, 2021, 12:58 PM IST

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London: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has been dropped from a BBC show after allegations of racism were levelled against him by two players.

Vaughan has been working as an analyst on Test Match Special for 12 years on the BBC 5 Live’s ‘The Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show ‘.

But he will not appear in the show on Monday following allegations of racism by Azeem Rafiq, who claimed that Vaughan had made racist comments towards him and other players before a Yorkshire match in 2009.

In a column for ‘Daily Telegraph’, Vaughan admitted that he was the former player implicated in the investigation into Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire but ”completely and categorically” denied the charges and vowed to ”fight” to clear his name.

Vaughan, who represented the county from 1991 until his retirement in 2009, apparently, told a group of Asian players, including Rafiq, ”Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.” The alleged incident occurred as Yorkshire was taking the field during a match against Nottinghamshire in 2009, Rafiq’s maiden season as a professional.

”I completely and categorically deny that I ever said those words. I have nothing to hide. The ‘you lot’ comment never happened,” the 2005 Ashes-winning captain wrote in the column.

”Anyone trying to recollect words said 10 years ago will be fallible but I am adamant those words were not used. If Rafiq believes something was said at the time to upset him then that is what he believes.”