Vaughan’s lawyers accuse ECB of ‘woefully inadequate’ investigation

The England and Wales Cricket board conducted a “woefully inadequate investigation” into Michael Vaughan that displayed “actual bias” and was “an affront to fairness”, the final day of the Yorkshire racism hearing was told.

In his closing submission, the former England captain’s legal counsel, Christopher Stoner KC, questioned why the ECB had initially withheld a statement from Ajmal Shahzad that backed Vaughan’s claims that he had never uttered the phrase “there are too many of you lot” to four Asian players before a Twenty20 game in 2009.

Stoner also raised concerns to the Cricket Disciplinary Commission that the ECB had not spoken to the umpires, cameramen or many of the players at the game before charging Vaughan.

“The investigation in this case was woefully inadequate,” he said. “Due process matters and it is the cornerstone of law. But in our submission it was sent on holiday by the ECB. It raises a real question of fairness, which Mr Vaughan has not been afforded.

“Given the nature of the allegation, the minimum requirement for any fair-minded investigation was to speak to everyone involved. Instead there was a prosecution from the outset,” added Stoner, who said it amounted to “evidence of actual bias”.

Stoner also questioned why Vaughan would ever have used such a phrase when a Sky TV cameraman was next to the Yorkshire team’s huddle. “It is inherently improbable that such serious and unacceptable words were spoken to teammates just as a game was starting, in the presence of a cameraman and almost certainly a microphone,” he said. “And were then not spoken about for a period of 11 years between any of those involved.”

Concluding his case, Stoner told the panel that the case was of considerable importance to