Broadcaster BT Sport says it won’t use former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan in its coverage for the upcoming Ashes series.
Vaughan has come under fire in recent months due to his alleged involvement in the racism saga impacting former Yorkshire teammate and cricketer Azeem Rafiq.
Vaughan has denied ever making any racist comments during his time at Yorkshire, but the former England star of 82 Test matches, on the weekend did apologise “for the hurt” Rafiq endured.
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After the 47-year-old was dropped by the BBC for its Ashes coverage recently, BT Sport is set to take a similar approach.
It’s expected Vaughan will be part of Australian rights-holder Fox Sports’ coverage of the Ashes series – and Fox Sports will provide audio for BT Sport’s coverage.
But in a statement, BT Sport said it would “not be editorially appropriate” to include Vaughan and confirmed they’re looking into ways, including a “hybrid approach”, allowing them to cut away when Vaughan is calling and insert commentary from an alternative source.
“The recent report presented to the UK parliament uncovering institutional racism within cricket and specifically Yorkshire county cricket club is extremely disappointing and a concern for all,” BT Sport said in a statement.
“Given these recent events and the controversy with the situation, we have taken the decision that including Michael Vaughan within our Ashes coverage would not be editorially appropriate or fit with BT Sport’s values.
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“We are still finalising plans but we are assessing the option of taking a hybrid approach, using Fox commentary where possible with the aim of putting our own commentary team in place if necessary.”
Rafiq, the whistleblower whose revelations about the racism and bullying he suffered at Yorkshire has sparked a crisis in the English game, was the first to make the allegation that Vaughan said in 2009 of the four players of Asian heritage: “There are too many of you lot; we need to do something about it.”
Rafiq was one of the four players in question. Two more — Adil Rashid and Pakistan international Rana Naved-ul-Hasan — have also said they overheard Vaughan’s alleged remarks.
– with AP
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