CDC verdicts give cricket community an opportunity to move forward together | The Cricketer

It is to Michael Vaughan's credit that, at the end of a day which could have ended his career as a pundit, he has pointed the game in the constructive direction it might take as it reflects on the lessons of the racism scandal at Yorkshire. 

Instead of focusing on his own trials and tribulations, Vaughan instead began with a nod to Azeem Rafiq's. Instead of railing against his own setbacks, he instead referenced Azeem's "unacceptable, negative experience" at Yorkshire and insisted the dismissal of the charge against him "takes nothing away from Azeem's own lived experience.

Yes, he went on to make criticisms of the ECB and Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) process. But what he hasn't attempted to do is deny the extent of the problem the sport faces with discrimination. 

And that is valuable. For you could be forgiven, amid the focus on Vaughan's acquittal, for missing that charges against a host of other Yorkshire players and coaches had been upheld. 

You might be forgiven, too, for missing that the club has admitted, among other things, their failure "to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language over a prolonged period". 

You could be forgiven, perhaps, for missing that Azeem's key point - that Yorkshire, at the time, had a significant problem with racism - has been vindicated.

Michael Vaughan arrives at the CDC hearings in London [Getty Images]

That must be undeniable at this point. After all, a Yorkshire captain has admitted using the 'P' word, while a senior player admitted it was "widely used" at the club. 

As a statement from Kick it Out put it: "Many of today's headlines are about former England captain Michael Vaughan. But five of the six people accused in the report were found to have used racist and/or discriminatory language with an additional two defendants pleading guilty (including Yorkshire CCC). This indicates a culture where the casual use of racist language had become normalised." And as Azeem has always said, this should be about institutions rather than individuals. 

For all the criticism of the CDC process, these verdicts are significant. It has taken, from the moment Azeem (and Adil Rashid) first made complaints about racism at Yorkshire (at the end of the 2017 season) more than five-and-a-half years to reach this point. 

Azeem has endured many attempts to sideline and silence him. He had to go outside the system - away from his club, his union or his governing body - to gain justice. And he has, through threats and intimidation towards him and his family, been obliged to leave the country as he attempted to find it. He's suffered a great deal.

But he's started a conversation which really can change our game for the better. Yes, it's a painful, confronting conversation. But as the evidence (not just the anecdotal evidence, but the data provided by the South Asian Cricket Academy, ICEC and others) has gathered, so it has become obvious this is a conversation we need to have. 

"None of this means the CDC process was a waste of time and money. It could, no doubt, be improved. But in dressing rooms and board rooms across the land, there is now an understanding that the world has changed"

It's not naive to believe the game can be better - more inclusive, more aware and more diverse - at the end of this process. It's not naive to think that, in time, the sport will reflect with gratitude at Azeem's bravery and persistence. 

This isn't the end of the story, though. Even as these verdicts were announced, the CDC are preparing other cases against other former players. 

And even as the verdicts were announced, a couple of those against whom complaints were upheld were suggesting they were minded to appeal. All parties have two weeks to decide whether to do so. 

There are those within the ECB who are inclined to take that opportunity but it would be a surprise if, once passions have cooled, there is really the stomach for that.

More pertinently, some of those who originally declined to take part in the process may now choose to do so. Perhaps they will be encouraged by Vaughan's success. And perhaps they will have noted the CDC's policy of drawing "inferences from any failure by the respondent to attend" and appreciate the need to participate in the process.

Yorkshire CCC's home ground, Headingley [Getty Images]

Within days, we can expect the publication of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report, too. It may not contain the same personal information as outlined in the recent CDC hearing, but it will contain details about the scope of the issue and the cultural changes required to combat it. This is not the end.

That was the point to which Vaughan alluded in his own post-verdict statement. His admirably gracious release reiterated a desire to "work together [with Azeem] in order to create positive change in cricket". Azeem, meanwhile, spoke of the need to "reflect, learn and implement change." Maybe, one day soon, they will appear on TV and radio together. There's no reason both should not be able to resume their careers.

What does that change look like? Well, the game has already made progress there. We must have greater gender and ethnic representation at every level - board, administration, coaching and playing - we must have greater understanding of the challenges of coming from a minority background and we must have an appreciation that behaviours and language which might once have been deemed acceptable aren't any more. 

A new code of conduct, one which spells out the expectations upon all involved, is also overdue. 

The case for a new regulator is also strong. The ECB has clearly struggled to operate as promoter and regulator and there are times when greater independence, bite and yes, resourcing, would have been helpful. It might make sense if football's new regulator was empowered to work in cricket, too. 

None of this means the CDC process was a waste of time and money. It could, no doubt, be improved. But in dressing rooms and board rooms across the land, there is now an understanding that the world has changed. 

People have been held to account for behaviours that excluded others. There's value in that. 

And there's value in Azeem having told his story and made his case. One day, the sport will be grateful for his contribution.

Related Topics

• Azeem Rafiq calls for game to end institutional racism after CDC verdicts
• CDC verdicts: Charge against Michael Vaughan dismissed, five others found to have breached ECB directive

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