Rana Naved-ul-Hasan claims he heard alleged Michael Vaughan comments

County Cricket

Former Yorkshire all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has claimed he heard former England captain Michael Vaughan make racially insensitive comments to Asian players at the club.

Vaughan revealed in his Daily Telegraph column on Thursday that he had been named in a report into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at the county, but categorically denied telling a group of team-mates there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it”.

A new report from ESPNCricinfo says ex-Pakistan international Rana, who played for the White Rose as an overseas player in 2008 and 2009, has confirmed he heard the comments. The report also states the 43-year-old is prepared to give evidence on the matter to any interested inquiry.

Speaking at his home in Knutsford, Cheshire, on Friday morning, the 2005 Ashes-winning skipper told the PA news agency: “We’re in different times. I’ve done my piece last night and I stand by what I say. I’ve never said anything racist in my life.

“I know that in my life, I’ve never said anything racist to anybody. So, that’s what I stand by.”

Vaughan works for the BBC across television and radio as a commentator and also co-hosts the Tuffers and Vaughan show on Radio Five Live.

He told PA:”I haven’t had any meetings with them. Yes, I am still working for them.”

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo in 2020, when Rafiq’s wide-ranging claims had only just become public knowledge, Rana said: “I fully support what Azeem said and this has been the case with me as well.

“I never spoke about it because, as foreigners, we were temporary and somehow I managed to accept the way it is. So I just focused on playing cricket. I never wanted to jeopardise my contracts.

“At times I used to feel bad, but I decided to ignore it because I knew I was not going to live there permanently. But I know what Azeem went through.”

Azeem Rafiq Rana Naved-ul-Hasan

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