26 May 2023 , 16:08
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Ex-England stars Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan have both been fined and reprimanded by the Independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).
The two bowlers played at Yorkshire with Azeem Rafiq, who raised serious issues of racism, that eventually saw him appear before the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to give evidence. Several individuals who represented Yorkshire were later questioned regarding Rafiq's allegations.
Bresnan and Hoggard were among five men to be involved in a disciplinary hearing back in March and were found to have "breached ECB Directive 3.3 for their alleged use of racist and/or discriminatory language" - Richard Pyrah, Andrew Gale and John Blain have also been reprimanded.
The statement issued confirmed Hoggard faces "a £4,000 fine. Mr Hoggard is also formally reprimanded, together with a strong CDC recommendation to undertake an appropriate racism/discrimination education course identified by the ECB, at his own expense, particularly if he intends to return to cricket in any playing or coaching capacity."
Bresnan has been been hit with a "three-match playing suspension (to take effect if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a player) and a £4,000 fine. Mr Bresnan is also formally reprimanded, together with a strong CDC recommendation to undertake an appropriate racism/discrimination education course identified by the ECB, at his own expense, particularly if he intends to return to cricket in any playing or coaching capacity."
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The CDC has also confirmed that the sanction hearing for Yorkshire as a club, which has admitted four breaches of ECB Directive 3.3, will be held on Tuesday June 27.
Matthew Hoggard has been hit with a fine and must undergo education (Will Palmer/SWpix.com)Hoggard withdrew from the disciplinary process several months ago, citing its failings as his primary reason. He told the BBC: "The process has failed everybody. Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with. Azeem has a problem with it, all the respondents have, [former Yorkshire chairman] Lord Patel has, Yorkshire have.
"There has got to be a better way. I'm pulling out because I don't think it's a fair process. There are no winners in this. It is not an admission of guilt. The people who know the truth, know the truth. That is all that matters to me."
Back in April Michael Vaughan saw the racist charges against him dismissed and said in a statement: "I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept or apologise for, something which I know I did not do. At times, this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of love with cricket."