LONDON: Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan told a hearing into accusations of racism at Yorkshire on Friday it was “inconceivable” he would make the comment attributed to him by Azeem Rafiq as his former county team-mate was accused of being ready to play the “race card.”
Vaughan and a number of other former players at the county cricket club face charges related to the use of racially discriminatory language.
Pakistan-born Rafiq, 32, first went public with allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire.
Rafiq alleged Vaughan told him and three other Yorkshire players of Asian origin “there’s too many of you lot, we need to do something about it,” before a 2009 Twenty20 match between Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) lawyer Jane Mulcahy asked Vaughan at the ongoing Cricket Discipline Commission hearing in London whether the words “there’s too many of you lot” were “totally unacceptable” as well as “racist and discriminatory.”
“Absolutely,” said Vaughan, 48, who in his witness statement said: “I consider it to be inconceivable that I would use the words contained in the allegation.”
Rafiq’s conduct, however, was also called into question later Friday when Matthew Wood, a former personal development manager at the Professional Cricketers’ Association and an ex-Yorkshire cricketer, said in a witness statement: “In my dealings with Azeem, I was aware of two occasions in which he (directly or indirectly) acknowledged that he would be prepared to use the ‘race card’.
“By that, I understood Azeem to mean that he would make, or allude to, an allegation of racism in bad faith in order to gain an advantage.”
Wood’s statement also referenced a 2018 conversation with Rafiq in which he recalled: “I asked Azeem, ‘And what will you do if Yorkshire don’t offer you a new contract?’ Azeem replied with words to the effect of, ‘I’ll just hit them with the race card’.”
Mulcahy told the hearing Wood had not made reference to Rafiq “using the race card” when speaking to Yorkshire investigators or an employment tribunal involving Rafiq.
Wood replied: “At the time it wasn’t asked and I wasn’t sure where it was going. My superiors at the PCA knew about Rafiq’s comments and I later added it to my statement.”
Earlier, 2005 Ashes-winning skipper Vaughan insisted: “If you go through the history of me as a player I don’t know any time I’d have gone onto a pitch and said something to my team-mates that would have put them in a bad state of mind to play cricket.”
He added: “You’ve got three or four Asian players in the (Yorkshire) team at the same time, I couldn’t have been more proud.”
Mulcahy asked Vaughan why, if nothing untoward had happened, he had arranged a meeting with Rafiq in November 2021.
Vaughan answered: “I felt it was getting too big, hurting too many people. It’s not been easy for anybody, this.
“I don’t think this is the right process to deal with a word-versus-word process from 14 years ago. Whatever happens, this has a terrible look on the game, a real bad look on how cricket has dealt with this situation.”
The ECB brought charges against seven individuals, and Yorkshire, in June last year, with the club admitting four charges.
Vaughan is the only former player to contest the charges in person.
“Being named and implicated in this matter has had a profound effect on me,” said the former Test batsman.
“My health and personal wellbeing have suffered badly.”
Vaughan denies racism as Rafiq accused of being ready to play ‘race card’
https://arab.news/592th
Vaughan denies racism as Rafiq accused of being ready to play ‘race card’
- Vaughan and a number of other former players at the county cricket club face charges related to the use of racially discriminatory language
- Pakistan-born Rafiq, 32, first went public with allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire
TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador
- Saudi government, SACF and people of Jeddah deserve much praise for their warm hospitality and support, says envoy
- Event is a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah — SACF
RIYADH: The Indian Premier League mega auction held at Jeddah’s Abadi Al-Johar Arena highlights the enduring friendship between India and Saudi Arabia, the Indian ambassador has said.
Suhel Ajaz Khan hailed the event, from Nov. 24-25, as a significant milestone in the growing influence of cricket across the region.
“Cricket, as we all know, is more than just a sport,” he told Arab News. “It is a powerful connector, bringing people together across borders, cultures and languages. Today, the IPL has become a global spectacle — a platform where talent, ambition and passion for the game converge. But beyond the game itself, it is events like these that reflect the deepening relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, two nations whose partnership continues to strengthen on every front, from economic cooperation to cultural exchange.”
The envoy praised the Kingdom, Cricket Saudi and Jeddahwis for their tremendous support.
“The Saudi government and the people of Jeddah deserve a lot of praise and applause for their warm hospitality and support in hosting this remarkable event,” he said. “A lot of credit is also due to the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, who made this event possible.
“It was also heartening to see how the Saudi community, with its growing enthusiasm for cricket, had wholeheartedly embraced this event.”
The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as “a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.”
“Over the past two days Jeddah has witnessed an unprecedented sporting event by hosting the IPL mega auction at Abadi Al Johar Arena, as part of the Jeddah Calendar, becoming the first international cricket event to be held in the Kingdom,” it said in a statement.
The auction was attended by officials and sports fans. A total of 1,574 players went under the hammer, with 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players competing for a place in the world’s premier T20 league. Total spending amounted to around $76.7 million, said the SACF.
The mega auction concluded on Monday evening in the presence of Saudi Deputy Minister of Sport Bader bin Abdulrahman Al-Kadi, SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chairman-elect of the International Cricket Council Jay Shah. Also present were international figures in the world of cricket, while a drone show lit up the Jeddah sky with slogans symbolizing the partnership between the Kingdom and India.
Jeddah’s IPL auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest player ever to be sold
- Big money flows as Saudi Arabia makes history with first-ever international cricket event
- It was an electric, record-breaking mega auction which rewrote history, says IPL
JEDDAH: The big money flowed on Monday as Saudi Arabia made waves with its first-ever international cricket event, hosting the TATA IPL mega auction in Jeddah, a key event in the sport’s global calendar.
The major highlight of day two was Vaibhav Suryavanshi — a left-handed batsman from the east Indian state of Bihar known for hitting long sixes — becoming the youngest player to be sold at the IPL auction — at just 13 years of age.
Suryavanshi was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for $131,000 in the IPL auction at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah.
Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals went head-to-head for his services and eventually the Royals won the fight.
TATA IPL wrote on X: “Talent meets opportunity indeed. (The) 13-year-old Suryavanshi becomes the youngest player ever to be sold at the #TATAIPL auction. Congratulations to the young star, who now joins Rajasthan Royals.”
Rajasthan Royals said on X: “Vaibhav Suryavanshi, all of 13 years old, entering the IPL!”
Hailing from Samastipur, Suryavanshi has already made headlines with his extraordinary achievements on the field.
During the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season in the Indian domestic league, Suryavanshi made his debut at just 12 years and 284 days against Mumbai.
Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh made his debut at 15 years and 57 days, while legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar started his career at 15 years and 230 days.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience found high demand among IPL franchises at the Jeddah event, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru securing his services for $1.275 million.
Other notable deals included Deepak Chahar, who fetched about $1.1 million from Mumbai Indians despite his injury history, and Mukesh Kumar, retained by Delhi Capitals for about $1 million through the RTM card. Lucknow Super Giants also invested heavily, signing Test pacer Akash Deep for about $1 million.
However, some big names, including Kane Williamson, Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, and Glenn Philipps, went unsold during the mega auction.
The auction reflected the high demand for players, especially from India. Indian talents got lucrative deals for even its fringe players.
Star Indian player Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL as Lucknow Super Giants spent a mind-boggling $3.19 million on the wicketkeeper-batter on the first day of the mega auction.
Jeddah’s TATA IPL mega auction saw plenty of twists, turns, unexpected signings and records broken, as the availability of Indian and international stars was greater than ever and all 10 franchises were looking to rebuild their squads.
The marquee event posted on X at its conclusion: “That’s it from the #TATAIPLAuction Arena in Jeddah. It was an electric, record-breaking mega auction, which rewrote history. Look forward to your company in #TATAIPL 2025.”
Franchise owners also took to X to express their great excitement.
One of the owners of Punjab Kings and famous Bollywood actor Preity Zinta wrote: “Day 1, nothing less than A1! Punjab Kings are on fire and ready to soar! #IPL2025Auction.”
On day two, she went on to take advice from fans, and wrote: “So how is the auction going folks? Are our fans happy? If not, any more recommendations/suggestions? Bring it on ! #PBKS #IPLAuction2025.”
Owner partner of Kolkata Knight Riders Juhi Chawla Mehta was excited as she posted on X a video of Jeddah with the caption “Destination Jeddah … IPL auction 2025 #ipl2025auction #IPLAuction #Kolkatknightriders #KKR.”
In another post sharing a video of the auction venue, she wrote: “Getting mega auction ready with our CEO Venky Mysore, and mentor DJ Bravo! @VenkyMysore @DJBravo47.”
The squads of the league’s 10 franchises — Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Sunrisers Hyderabad — were finalized on Monday from a pool of 574 players.
The IPL will enter its 18th season in March next year, and the Red Sea city of Jeddah became an important stop en route.
The names of Dubai, London, Riyadh and Jeddah were touted before the Red Sea city was chosen by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the marquee event.
Faisal Khan joins brother in century club as Saudi Arabia registers consecutive wins
- Opener Faisal Khan scored his maiden T20I century as the Kingdom chased down a target of 162 runs with 28 balls remaining
- Faisal is the second Saudi player to score a century in the tournament, following his elder brother Abdul Waheed, who scored a century in the first match against Bahrain
Saudi Arabia registered its second straight win in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier after beating Cambodia by five wickets in Qatar on Monday.
Opener Faisal Khan scored his maiden T20I century as the Kingdom chased down a target of 162 runs with 28 balls remaining.
Faisal is the second Saudi player to score a century in the tournament, following his elder brother Abdul Waheed, who scored a century in the first match against Bahrain and also happens to be his opening partner.
Against Cambodia, Faisal completed his half-century in just 20 balls, with 22 runs coming off the last four balls of Shah Abrar Hussain’s fifth over. Faisal’s blitzkrieg innings meant Saudi Arabia was 86-0 at the end of six overs.
Faisal and Abdul shared a 116-run partnership for the first wicket in just 9.5 overs as Saudi Arabia started off well. Abdul was stumped for 34 runs off Chadha, a dismissal that left Faisal fuming. Even though the chase was half done, Faisal felt it would have been special to share the moment of his century with his elder brother.
He was batting on 81 when Abdul returned to the pavilion. Faisal needed six more balls to reach three figures as he hit a six off Gireesh when on 94. Faisal was caught out on the last ball of the same over, ending with 101 runs off 42 balls. He hit six fours and 10 sixes in his innings. Faisal is only the third Saudi player to score a century in T20Is, after Waji Ul Hasan’s 115 not out vs. Bhutan in February 2024 and elder brother Abdul’s 110 vs. Bahrain last Tuesday.
Faisal said that the moment would have been even more special had Abdul been with him at the other end. “I was very angry when he got out and the way he got dismissed. I was hitting the ball well, so, he just needed to occupy the crease and be with me. We have come through a lot, and had he been there, it would have been even more special,” he told Arab News.
He feels it is easier to bat with his brother at the other end. “We play for Pak Shaeens back in Saudi Arabia, so, there is an understanding in the game. We have started playing together too, and whenever he is around, I am comfortable. It feels like my brother will make it right if something goes wrong from my end,” he added.
Elder brother Waheed was happy to see Faisal back in form and said it was a proud moment for the family. “The moment he got to the century was special, even though I was clapping from the pavilion. I know he feels comfortable talking and batting with me, as we share feedback consistently. It is a proud moment for our family that both of us have scored centuries. I hope we can contribute similarly to our team’s success in the coming days,” he said.
Saudi Arabia needed only 21 runs when Faisal was out. They lost two more wickets but were safely home in the 16th over. Faisal said that the team was looking for a big win from ball one, as they had an eye on the run rate.
“We needed to win big to stay in the hunt for qualification, and hitting the ball was the approach from ball one. The ball was coming well off my bat, and I just kept using powerplay restrictions to my advantage. I knew we could chase the total within 14-15 overs,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Cambodia put up 161 runs for six wickets in their 20 overs after being invited to bat first at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. Lakshit Gupta top-scored with 62 runs off 45 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes. Uday Hathinjar added 16 runs and Luqman Butt contributed 26 runs, helping to build the score. Mahaj Chadha also played well toward the end, scoring 24 runs not out.
Cambodia had two strong partnerships at the start, with Hathinjar and Gupta adding 46 runs in five overs. Luqman stayed with Gupta to reach 109 in the 14th over, but the wickets tumbled at regular intervals thereafter. Ishtiaq Ahmad and Usman Najeeb took two wickets each for Saudi Arabia.
After losing the first two matches against Bahrain and the UAE, Saudi Arabia has won three consecutive games, putting the side back in the frame for qualification. The top two teams from this seven-team qualifier will qualify for the regional final, which serves as a pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in 2026.
Saudi Arabia is fourth in the table with four points and will face third-place Thailand, who have six points. The UAE and Qatar, who face each other on Tuesday, are both unbeaten and have eight points from four matches. Bahrain also has four points but is behind Saudi Arabia in net run rate. Cambodia and Bhutan are at the bottom without any points.
Saudi Arabia is facing Thailand on Tuesday and will face Qatar on Thursday, which could be a winner-takes-all match to get to the qualifier. Faisal is focused on the match against Thailand, taking the remaining matches as two finals.
“We know how important the match against Qatar is going to be, but first, we are focused on the Thailand match. We will try to give our best to get the win and then only think about Qatar. A win is the only result that will take us forward, so, we are determined to make it happen. To get better matches, to improve our ranking and to make ourselves better, we need to win the two finals from here,” he added.
Faisal feels that the tournament is very important for the development of the sport in the Kingdom, too. “If we go through to the qualifiers, we will have more programs. Right now, there are no turf pitches for us to train on, which is why we find it hard in the first matches. Getting to the next round will only aid our development phase, and we are hopeful of achieving it,” he said.
For the final round of regional qualifiers, Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spots from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals as they qualified for the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup, held in the US and West Indies.
Saudi Arabia to launch professional cricket league: SACF chief
- PIF involvement will see world-class stadiums built in Riyadh, Jeddah and Yanbu
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will launch its own professional cricket league and has plans to enter into international cricket investments in cooperation with the Public Investment Fund, the chief of the sport’s federation in the Kingdom has said.
World-class stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Yanbu will also be developed under the plan.
It came as the Kingdom hosted the Indian Premier League mega auction for the first time, with top players signing for teams in India’s T20 league, the world’s biggest and most popular.
Speaking to reporters at Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah, Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, said: “Plans are underway to enter into international investments in cooperation with the Saudi Public Investment Fund that will support their shared ambition to grow cricket at every level of the game in Saudi Arabia.
“One of the most important plans is to set us on the path to achieving our vision to make cricket a major sport in Saudi Arabia and at the same time creating our own professional league.”
He added: “Part of our strategy aims to build on Saudi Arabia’s cricket infrastructure by developing world-class facilities in Riyadh, Yanbu and Jeddah.”
When asked by Arab News about the impact of hosting the IPL mega auction in Saudi Arabia for the first time, he said: “It is a great opportunity for us to host this year’s prestigious auction. With the full support of our government, we are sending a message that it is really a testament to the Kingdom’s commitment to developing cricket here and establishing our country as a global hub for sporting events.”
Commenting on upcoming events, he added: “A lot of things are coming on the pipeline, and we are determined to achieve our big ambition.
“We have more work to do and we are excited about the future and look forward to working with all our partners to achieve this vision together.”
The two-day mega auction began at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday.
The squads of the league’s 10 franchises — Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad — will be finalized on Monday from a pool of 574 players.
The IPL will enter its 18th season in March next year, and the Red Sea City is an important stop en route.
Two-day Tata IPL mega auction begins in Jeddah
- Abadi Al-Johar Arena hosts the mega event, where squads of the 10 franchises will be finalized
- Arshdeep Singh becomes first player to go under the hammer in the IPL auction 2025, Rishabh Pant costliest buy in the IPL history
JEDDAH: With the stage set for the much-anticipated Indian Premier League mega auction, the bidding war began at the Abadi Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah on Sunday, where the squads of the 10 franchises will be finalized over two days from a pool of 574 players.
Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chairman-elect of the apex cricket body, the International Cricket Council, arrived in the Red Sea city of Jeddah ahead of the TATA IPL 2025 auction.
“This marks Saudi Arabia’s first-ever international cricket event, set to take place on November 24-25, 2024,” the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation said in a statement to Arab News.
Shah was warmly received at the airport by Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, chairman of SACF, along with Vice Chairman Nawaf Al-Otaibi and CEO Tariq Sagga.
A number of investors, franchise representatives and officials from the BCCI also arrived in Jeddah in preparation for the highly anticipated auction, which is a key event in the global cricket calendar.
“This historic event marks a new chapter for cricket in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom continues to strengthen its position on the global sports stage, in line with its Vision 2030,” SACF said.
The IPL will enter its 18th season next year, and the Red Sea City is an important stop en route, where the squads of the ten franchises — Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Sunrisers Hyderabad — will be finalized at the mega auction.
After the news of the mega auction to be held at an overseas venue came out, the names of Dubai, London, Riyadh and Jeddah started doing the rounds before the Red Sea City was finalized by the BCCI for the marquee event.
The Abadi Al-Johar Arena, named after the famous Saudi singer, and which has seating capacity of 15,000, hosts the mega event, where the squads of the 10 franchises will be finalized.
Out of a stellar list of marquee players featuring in the TATA IPL auction, Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh raked in the money, becoming the first player to be sold in the Jeddah IPL auction. He received $2.13 million as Punjab Kings used their right-to-match card to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Star India player Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League as Lucknow Super Giants spent a mind-boggling $3.19 million on the wicketkeeper-batter.
The ten franchises are gunning to set their team for the next few years; on Day 1, however, only 84 top cricketers will go under the hammer. On Day 2, the 10 franchises will nominate a set of players who will be auctioned in an accelerated manner, followed by the last round, where the unsold players will be back for auction again.
Unlike regular auctions, the mega auction that takes place every three years is spread over two days instead of one. It is one of the most-followed events in cricket, as the ten IPL franchises build their squads for the next three years (2025-27).
As the Tata IPL auction, cricket’s most lucrative event, takes place in Jeddah, franchise representatives will spend more than $71 million across two days.
The Tata IPL 2025 mega auction will see plenty of twists, turns, unexpected signings and records broken, as the availability of Indian and international stars is greater than ever and all ten franchises are looking to rebuild their squads from the start.
A total of 12 marquee players, including Indian stars such as Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, have created a buzz within the cricket fraternity. Players have been shortlisted from an initial pool of 1,574 names.
These players will go under the hammer over the two-day mega auction in Jeddah. The list includes 208 overseas players, 12 uncapped overseas talents and 318 uncapped Indian players, according to the cricket reference book Wisden.
