Adil Rashid backs Azeem Rafiq's racism claims against Michael Vaughan
Adil Rashid confirms Azeem Rafiq's recollection on Michael Vaughan's racist comments
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England spinner Adil Rashid has backed Azeem Rafiq's recollection of Michael Vaughan's racist comments on Asian players at Yorkshire during an incident from 2009. Rashid also pledged to participate in an official investigation that aims at wiping out what he called the "cancer" of racism.
Micahel Vaughan’s racist comments on Asian players in the Yorkshire side during an incident in 2009 were brought out by Azeem Rafiq in a detailed allegation report. Pointing to a group of four players during a match at Trent Bridge, the former England captain had allegedly said, "There are too many of you lot; we need to do something about it". However, Vaughan denied to have said anything of the sort.
Meanwhile, Adil Rashid has confirmed that Rafiq's recollection of Michael Vaughan's comments to a group of Asian Players in the Yorkshire side is indeed true. The England spinner further added that he will be happy to support the official efforts in order to stamp out the "cancer" of racism.
"Racism is cancer in all walks of life and unfortunately in professional sports too, and is something which of course has to be stamped out. I wanted to concentrate as much as possible on my cricket and to avoid distractions to the detriment of the team but I can confirm Azeem Rafiq's recollection of Michael Vaughan's comments to a group of us Asian players," Rashid told ESPN Cricinfo.
"I'm encouraged by the fact that a Parliamentary Committee seems to be trying to improve the situation, whether that's holding people accountable or getting changes made at an institutional level. These can only be positive developments."
"I will of course be more than happy to support any official efforts when the time is right. For now, though, these matters are of an intensely personal nature and I will not be commenting on them further. I ask you to respect my privacy and allow me to focus on my cricket," he added.
Former Pakistan quick Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who is said to have been one of the four players, had confirmed last week of hearing the same from Vaughan.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have already banned Yorkshire from hosting international and major matches, owing to the club's handling of the entire issue.
Gary Ballance, Rafiq’s teammate at Yorkshire had admitted of using the racial slur "P**i" in conversations with the former England U19 captain, in a statement issued by Yorkshire. The ECB subsequently suspended Ballance from England selection for an indefinite period.
