England spinner Adil Rashid corroborated the accusations levelled against Michael Vaughan by Azeem Rafiq.
“Racism is a 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,” said Rashid in a statement to The Cricketer.
“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. I want to thank the ECB, the fans and especially my teammates for all of their support. We didn’t get the result we wanted in this World Cup, but I hope that the unity of our dressing room and the leadership of our captain [Eoin Morgan] will propel us forward to achieve what we deserve in the future.”
