Yorkshire CDC hearings: Robin Smith blasts ECB for 'dereliction of duty'

Robin Smith says ECB chairman Richard Thompson should have acted to halt the disciplinary proceedings and instead called an independent inquiry to look into Rafiq’s allegations of racism. The ECB charged seven individuals and Yorkshire last June, with the public part of a Cricket Discipline Commission hearing concluding only on Tuesday.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was the only charged individual who attended the hearing, with his barrister Christopher Stoner KC describing the ECB’s investigation as “woefully inadequate” in his closing submission.

One of the seven individuals, Gary Ballance, had already admitted a charge while Yorkshire have admitted four, including one that it “failed to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language over a prolonged period”.

Smith, who attended the hearing last Friday to provide support to one of the witnesses, Yorkshire’s former head of human resources Liz Neto, told the PA news agency: “Woefully inadequate is being kind to the ECB. It was a dereliction of duty in my view.”

ECB chairman Thompson started his role on September 1 last year – just under three months after the governing body had issued charges – but Smith insisted he should have intervened.

“He’s allowed this thing to go through to a hearing,” said Smith.

“He has had every opportunity on joining to say: ‘Look, this is going down a blind alley here, we must stand back, we must appoint a respected professional firm or retired judge to conduct a proper, full inquiry’.

"’We will then get the facts that will then determine the way forward’.

"Instead, he has allowed these proceedings to go to trial.

“He’s had six months to prevent that and he’s exposed the ECB for all its failings by doing so.”

The ECB’s director of legal and integrity Meena Botros told the hearing under cross-examination that the investigation had been “extensive”.

The deliberations of the CDC panel are expected to continue well beyond this week, although panel chair Tim O’Gorman did pledge just before the public hearing closed on Tuesday to return judgements in the case by the end of the month if possible.