Former British Prime Minister Michael Vaughn is stepping down from his job at the BBC amid an “ongoing dialogue” over the Yorkshire racism investigation. On Monday, a joint letter from two BBC staff groups expressed concern about the 47-year-old’s continued involvement in the station’s cricket coverage. Vaughan was named in the Yorkshire report on Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism. He denied allegations that he made a racist comment to a group of Asian players. Vaughn did not appear on the BBC’s coverage of Australia’s Ashes in the winter, but returned to commentary in March. The news of the ECB accusations came before England played New Zealand at Headingley in the third test – the first international game played on the ground since the scandal. On Monday, the BBC said it had acknowledged that staff had expressed concern in an open letter questioning Vaughn’s return to the company. The letter was sent to staff by groups representing blacks, Asians and minority ethnic groups. “It is always sad when off-field comments take the focus away from what is happening on the pitch. In view of the ongoing dialogue on the subject, I have decided to leave my job for the BBC for the time being,” said Vaughn. in a statement. “The main lever for this is my concern for the well-being of my family members and my desire to protect their family life. The temporary withdrawal is also in the interest of the game and I hope it will minimize any difficulties for my colleagues. . “ In a statement, the BBC said: “After talks with Michael Vaughan, we have accepted his decision to move away from cricket coverage. This is a decision we respect and understand. Michael remains a contract with the BBC.” Last November, Rafik spoke to lawmakers about his experiences in Yorkshire, saying English cricket was “institutionally” racist. Since then, 16 staff members have left Yorkshire in a wide-ranging review. The club’s handling of the scandal also led to a series of resignations, with CEO Mark Arthur and President Roger Hutton resigning and the ECB removing Headingley from the internationals it was to host – the club’s right to England’s host games have since been restored. Commenting on its allegations earlier this month, the ECB said it had conducted a “thorough and complex” investigation. The board expects the hearings to take place in September or October and the outcome of each case will be published after the decisions are made. She said the allegations stemmed from alleged violations of a directive on “conduct that is inappropriate or could harm the interests of cricket or defame the ECB, the game of cricket or any other cricketer” and her objections. ΕΚΤ. code of distinction. The ECB has not commented on the specific details of the charges. Rafiq claimed that Vaughan said “too many of you, we have to do something about it” to him and three other Asian players during a match for Yorkshire in 2009. Rafiq’s account was backed by former Pakistani bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and English leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who said they heard the comment. The fourth player in the group – bowler Ajmal Shahzad – previously told the Daily Mail that he did not remember the incident and “the older kids were very good to me”. Vaughn has previously said he did not remember the incident nor did he recognize the words he claimed to have used. “I clearly remember that I was proud to have four Asian players representing the Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” he said. In an interview with the BBC in November, he said he “regretted all the harm” Rafik had suffered. Vaughn led England to the Test between 2003 and 2008. He played his entire domestic career in Yorkshire – between 1993 and 2009 – before becoming an editor for the BBC Test Match Special.
