Ashes: Michael Vaughan not part of BBC coverage
- Published
Michael Vaughan played for Yorkshire from 1993 to 2009
Former England captain Michael Vaughan will not be involved in the BBC's coverage of the Ashes in Australia.
He was named in Yorkshire's report into Azeem Rafiq's claims of racism during his time at the club.
Vaughan, 47, said he is "very disappointed" and wants to be "part of the solution, listening, educating myself and helping to make it a more welcoming sport for all".
He has repeatedly denied the allegation made against him.
Vaughan was stood down from his BBC Radio 5 Live show this month and will also not be involved in the BBC's "wider coverage of the sport at the moment".
England will play five Tests against Australia, the first starting on 8 December in Brisbane.
Vaughan joined the BBC's Test Match Special radio team as a summariser in 2009.
"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," read a BBC statement.
"We require our contributors to talk about relevant topics and his involvement in the Yorkshire story represents a conflict of interest."
Rafiq alleged Vaughan said "too many of you lot, we need to do something about it" to him and three other players during a County Championship match for Yorkshire in 2009.
Rafiq's account was supported by former Pakistan bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and England leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who said they heard the comment.
The fourth player in the group - bowler Ajmal Shahzad - previously told the Daily Mail, external he had no recollection of the event and "the senior guys were really good to me".
Vaughan wrote in his Daily Telegraph column that he "totally denies" making the comment.
Following the BBC's decision on Wednesday, he said: "Very disappointed not to be commentating for TMS on the Ashes and will miss working with great colleagues and friends, but looking forward to being behind the mic for Fox Cricket in Australia.
"The issues facing cricket are bigger than any individual case."
More than 2,000 people have contacted the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket's (ICEC) inquiry into discrimination in the sport following the racism scandal at Yorkshire.
This week Jahid Ahmed became the third former Essex player to allege he experienced racist abuse at the club.
A 12-point plan which will tackle the issues raised by Rafiq and others is due to be released by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Rafiq criticised Vaughan when he appeared in front of a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee this month.
"It's important on Michael that we don't make it all about Michael," Rafiq said of Vaughan's newspaper column, where the ex-England captain had revealed he was named in the Yorkshire investigation.
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