Former England pacer Matthew Hoggard withdraws from hearings into Azeem Rafiq’s racism allegations | Cricket Information – Occasions of India

LONDON: Ex-England worldwide bowler Matthew Hoggard mentioned on Friday he has withdrawn from the disciplinary course of involving allegations made by his former Yorkshire teammate Azeem Rafiq over fears he is not going to get a good listening to.
Hoggard, who was a part of the England staff which received the 2005 Ashes, was considered one of seven people charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) final June in a disciplinary case inspecting allegations of racism and bullying.
He believes the drawn out disciplinary course of has “failed” everybody concerned, together with Rafiq.
Hoggard is accused of utilizing racist language throughout his time at Yorkshire.
“I’m pulling out because I don’t think it’s a fair process,” Hoggard advised the BBC.
“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.”
One other former England worldwide, Tim Bresnan, and John Blain have additionally reportedly withdrawn from from the method as a result of they imagine they’d not get a good listening to.
They be a part of former Yorkshire captain and head coach Andrew Gale, who has refused to have interaction with the method.
“The process has failed everybody. Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with,” added Hoggard.
“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.”
The ECB’s Cricket Self-discipline Fee (CDC) will hear the costs in March.
Following a request from Rafiq, the hearings are on account of happen in public.
Because it stands solely former England captain Michael Vaughan, ex-England batsman Gary Ballance and Richard Pyrah stay cooperative with the method.
“Individuals are entitled to choose not to participate in the hearings if they wish, but the cases will still be heard in their absence and we are satisfied that the disciplinary process in this matter has been both rigorous and fair,” the ECB mentioned in an announcement.
“The ECB’s investigation and disciplinary process has been overseen by an independent committee and specialist leading King’s Counsel.”
Rafiq, 31, first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, associated to his two spells at Yorkshire.
The county apologised for “racial harassment and bullying” after an investigation partially upheld Rafiq’s claims a yr later.
Nonetheless, the findings of the investigation weren’t revealed and no participant, worker or government confronted disciplinary motion because of its findings, sparking widespread criticism.
Yorkshire had been briefly stripped of the suitable to host worldwide matches at Headingley by the ECB, resulting in the resignations of former chairman Roger Hutton and chief government Mark Arthur.
New chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel then sacked 16 members of the membership’s teaching and backroom employees, together with Gale and bowling coach Pyrah.
However each subsequently agreed compensation packages with Yorkshire after claims for unfair dismissal.