Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been axed from a BBC show after racism allegations were levelled against him by two players. He was working as an analyst on Test Match Special for 12 years on the BBC 5 Live’s ‘The Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show.’

The allegations were levelled by former cricketer Azeem Rafiq. The former Yorkshire cricketer claimed that Vaughan had made racist comments towards him and other players before a match in 2009.

Vaughan, in a column for ‘Daily Telegraph’, admitted that he was the former player who was implicated in the investigation into Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire. Talking about that Vaughan “completely and categorically” denied the charges and vowed to “fight” to clear his name.

Vaughan, who represented England from 1991 until his retirement in 2009, supposedly, told a group of Asian players, including Rafiq, “Too many of you lot, we need to do something about it.”

The alleged racism happened during Yorkshire’s match against Nottinghamshire in 2009. That was Rafiq’s maiden season as a professional.

“I completely and categorically deny that I ever said those words. I have nothing to hide. The ‘you lot’ comment never happened,” the 2005 Ashes-winning captain wrote in the column.

“Anyone trying to recollect words said 10 years ago will be fallible but I am adamant those words were not used. If Rafiq believes something was said at the time to upset him then that is what he believes.”

Vaughan, who represented Yorkshire from 1991 until his retirement in 2009, said he will “fight until the end” to prove his innocence.

“It is difficult to comment on that except to say it hurts me hugely to think I potentially affected someone. I take it as the most serious allegation ever put in front of me and I will fight to the end to prove I am not that person.”