Public hearing starts into Azeem Rafiq Yorkshire cricket racism scandal.

LONDON -- A hearing into the racism scandal at Yorkshire started on Wednesday, with ex-player Azeem Rafiq set to give evidence more than two years after he made damning allegations over his treatment by the English county cricket club.

The initial proceedings were held in private but a live stream of the independent Cricket Discipline Commission panelA's deliberations was set to be broadcast to accredited journalists later in the day.

Pakistan-born Rafiq, 32, first raised allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire.

He told a British parliamentary committee in December 2022 the abuse he and his family had faced had forced him to leave the UK.

Disrepute charges against seven individuals with prior connections to the county were issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board last June, with the club also charged.

But the only charged individual still set to appear is ex-England captain Michael Vaughan.

Former players and coaches Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Richard Pyrah and John Blain have refused to engage with the process.

The CDC panel will still hear the charges against those five in their absence.

Gary Ballance, also charged, has already admitted using racially discriminatory language...