Michael Vaughan has been removed from the BBC’s Ashes team ahead of the first Test next month following allegations that he made a racist comment while playing for Yorkshire in 2009. Azeem Rafiq accused former England captain Vaughan of saying “there are too many of you lot” in reference to Yorkshire’s Asian players ahead of a match against Nottinghamshire. Vaughan has strenuously denied making the comment, but both Adil Rashid and Rana Naved-ul-Hasa have since claimed they also heard the remark. On Wednesday, a BBC spokesperson said it would not be “appropriate” for Vaughan to be involved in their coverage of the Ashes series amid the ongoing fallout of cricket’s racism scandal.

“While he is involved in a significant story in cricket, for editorial reasons we do not believe that it would be appropriate for Michael Vaughan to have a role in our Ashes team or wider coverage of the sport at the moment,” the spokesperson said. “We require our contributors to talk about relevant topics and his involvement in the Yorkshire story represents a conflict of interest.” The decision was announced just over a fortnight after Vaughan’s Radio 5 Live show was pulled in order to “maintain the impartiality of the program”.

The 2005 Ashes-winning captain was named again in Rafiq’s distressing testimony in front of a parliamentary select committee, in which the former off-spinner gave evidence of the “institutional racism” he suffered at Yorkshire. Following his testimony, Rafiq said those who have apologized deserved “a second chance” but that it’s now up to Vaughan’s employers to “send a message”. “With people in denial there’s got to be a level of accountability there and it’s for their employers to send out a message – are they going to give a green light to racism or are they going to stamp it out?” Rafiq said.

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Vaughan Dropped From BBC Ashes Commentary Team

“I’m disappointed in a lot of people’s denials. It may not mean a lot to them – I can live with that. But to try and completely deny it and make out that it’s all made up in my head is hurtful.” Fox Sports have decided to retain Vaughan as part of their commentary team for the Ashes series. BT Sport, who won the television rights to broadcast the series in Britain, will use Fox’s audio due to travel restrictions, meaning Vaughan will still be heard by a UK audience. Michael Vaughan has been left out of the BBC commentary team for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia to avoid a “conflict of interest” amid an ongoing racism row.

English cricket has been rocked by revelations of racism from Pakistan-born former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq. These have included an allegation that former England captain Vaughan told the now 30-year-old Rafiq and other Yorkshire players of Asian origin that there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it” during a county match in 2009. Vaughan, an Ashes-winning skipper in 2005, has “categorically denied” the allegation. Following Rafiq’s comments, which have sparked a tidal wave of accusations of racism within English cricket, the 47-year-old Vaughan was stood down from his BBC radio show earlier this month.

These have included an allegation that former England captain Vaughan told the now 30-year-old Rafiq and other Yorkshire players of Asian origin that there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it” during a county match in 2009. Following a meeting of the national governing body’s constituent members on Friday, Harrison promised “tangible action” to combat racism, but said the details would not be published until this week. The fallout for Yorkshire, one of English cricket’s oldest and most prestigious counties, over the scandal has been devastating, with sponsors making a mass exodus and the club suspended from hosting lucrative international matches.