ECB’s Yorkshire racism hearing process has ‘failed everybody’, feels Matthew Hoggard
Matthew Hoggard has lashed out at ECB.
|(Getty)
Former England pacer Matthew Hoggard has lashed out at ECB, saying Yorkshire's historical racism investigation and the disciplinary process has ‘failed everybody’ including Azeem Rafiq, who called English cricket ‘institutionally racist’. Hoggard has withdrawn his cooperation from the procedure.
After confirming that he will not be attending the hearings into historical racism at Yorkshire, Matthew Hoggard questioned England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) disciplinary process, saying the issue could have been dealt with in a better way. The 46-year-old, who won the Ashes in 2005, is facing four charges of bringing the game into disrepute, centered on allegedly using racist language during his time at Yorkshire.
"I'm pulling out because I don't think it's a fair process. There are no winners in this. It is not an admission of guilt. The people who know the truth, know the truth. That is all that matters to me,” Hoggard told BBC on Friday.
"The process has failed everybody. Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with. Azeem has a problem with it, all the respondents have, [former Yorkshire chairman] Lord Patel has, Yorkshire have. There has got to be a better way."
Hoggard was one of seven individuals charged alongside Yorkshire in June of last year following allegations by Azeem Rafiq of historical racism. Tim Bresnan and former Scotland fast bowler John Blain, who were among the other individuals charged, also pulled out from the hearings on Friday. Along with the trio, ex-Yorkshire captain and coach Andrew Gale, former England captain Michael Vaughan, ex-England international Gary Ballance, and ex-Yorkshire bowler Richard Pyrah are the others facing charges at a hearing of the ECB's Cricket Disciplinary Commission in March.
