Yorkshire CCC racism scandal: Tim Bresnan blasts 'circus' of an ECB investigation into Azeem Rafiq's 'well-rehearsed' racism claims

His comments come in a statement seen by The Yorkshire Post confirming his withdrawal from next month’s public hearings.

Bresnan was one of seven individuals charged in relation to the crisis, with five having now withdrawn from the disciplinary process (the others are Matthew Hoggard, John Blain, Andrew Gale and Rich Pyrah), one having admitted to charges against him (Gary Ballance), leaving only Michael Vaughan - who strongly denies making the infamous “you lot” comment - set to defend himself in public.

However, in a disquieting development, the ECB is understood to be reluctant to make the key witness in Vaughan’s case, the England leg-spinner Adil Rashid, available to return home briefly from a tour of Bangladesh that coincides with the hearings to be cross-examined in person by Vaughan’s legal representatives, owing to the supposed time and cost involved.

Such a move would do little to heighten the perception of transparency or fairness in a case in which Vaughan, the 2005 Ashes-winning captain, has had his life and career put on hold despite despite Ajmal Shahzad being seemingly supportive of him.

Shahzad’s statement to the ECB in December 2021, which also refuted a culture of racism at Yorkshire CCC, suggested that Rashid may have been “pressured” into supporting the allegation. It would seem essential that such evidence is tested in a face-to-face environment.

Shahzad’s statement only came to light last week following legal disclosure and is perhaps an illustration of why Bresnan and co have chosen to pull out (their cases will now be heard in absentia by the independent Cricket Discipline Commission, which hears charges brought by the ECB).

Bresnan believes that the ECB has deliberately withheld key information from himself and other defendants and is concerned only with upholding Rafiq’s allegations and trying to “protect its reputation in public”. He feels a “circus” of an investigation can only lead to an outcome which is “a foregone conclusion”.

The 37-year-old claimed that the ECB’s legal team had even confirmed to him that “certain questions were not asked of potential witnesses because of the possibility that they would not support Mr Rafiq’s allegations”, and that the ECB sat on material from witnesses that “supported elements of my case”, only handing it over due to “the persistence of my legal team”.

The ECB insisted its investigation was “rigorous and fair” and that it had “followed proper process throughout, including complying with its disclosure obligations and providing material to the relevant parties at the appropriate time”.

However, Bresnan believes that he is being “treated differently because of the political ramifications for the ECB” after Rafiq “threatened not to attend” unless the hearings were held in public, with Bresnan adamant that although he was “not unwilling to engage in a public hearing, the witnesses I intended to call as part of my defence had agreed to do so based on a private hearing. Without them, it cannot be fair.”

Expanding on his withdrawal from the process, Bresnan said: “I do so with a heavy heart and although I have nothing to hide, the ECB have made it impossible to have a fair hearing. After more than two years of inaccurate allegations, hearings and reports, I have lost confidence in the process.

“This has been a one-sided investigation that set out to prove a particular case against me instead of objectively examining matters before any charges were brought. For this reason, I believe the outcome is a foregone conclusion.”

Bresnan, part of the Ashes-winning sides of 2010-11 and 2013, and a T20 World Cup winner in 2010, also hit out at what he suggested were Rafiq’s premeditated racism claims.

“Mr Rafiq’s well-rehearsed account to the press and to parliamentary inquiries meant no politician could test the truth or accuracy of his claims,” he said.

“The CDC process, no doubt influenced by the criticisms of the initial investigation conducted by Yorkshire CCC, pandered to Mr Rafiq’s every need and seemingly uncritically accepted that his account was true.

“Mr Rafiq has continued to benefit from a narrative that suits him. His prolific social media output, along with an announcement that he planned to release a book on racism in cricket, fed the media frenzy.”

Rafiq’s representatives reiterated his statement of Friday afternoon, which said in response to the withdrawals of Bresnan, Hoggard and Blain: “Over the past two years I have been vindicated time and again.

“This has included a legal investigation that confirmed I was a victim of racial harassment and bullying; a Yorkshire-commissioned panel that concluded I suffered discrimination; numerous apologies, both public and private, from people who witnessed or were involved in this behaviour, and others have come forward to reveal the culture in the wider game.

“It is regrettable that these defendants are not willing to go to a public hearing and face what happened.”