Yorkshire cricket structural reforms approved
Yorkshire chair Lord Patel hails an “overwhelming vote for positive change” as structural reforms at the club are approved on Thursday….
Yorkshire chair Lord Patel hailed an “overwhelming vote for positive change” as structural reforms at the club were approved on Thursday.
The club’s right to stage England games was suspended over its handling of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal last year.
“We thank the members for their full and proper consideration,” said Patel.
“This support will help Yorkshire County Cricket Club to be an inclusive and welcoming place and gives us the clarity and certainty we need to keep building this great club.”
Former spinner Rafiq said on social media: “Relieved to see Lord Patel’s reforms backed today and that Yorkshire members chose a bright, inclusive future for my club.
“Big opportunity to show the world what can be achieved when you have strong leadership and good people.”
Patel, who was appointed in November, said in January that Yorkshire faced a “huge financial crisis” if the ban was not lifted and that regaining its internationals status was key to the club’s planned reforms.
Yorkshire’s right to host England matches was reinstated subject to key requirements being met by the end of March.
The club held an extraordinary general meeting at Headingley on the day of the deadline and members overwhelmingly passed three special resolutions.
Former chairman Robin Smith had said that Patel’s appointment was “invalid” but one of the three resolutions at Thursday’s EGM saw Patel confirmed as the club’s chair.
Members also voted in favour of changes to the composition of the board and the removal of legal liability from decisions made by board members since November.
An ECB spokesperson said that the vote “is an important step forward in bringing about real change and setting the club on course for a more inclusive future”.
However, they added that “it is important that the plans set out so far are now delivered. We will continue to monitor progress closely.
“Our regulatory investigation into the complaints brought by Azeem Rafiq, which is separate to this process, remains ongoing and we will update on this in due course.”
Headingley is now set to host England’s Test against New Zealand from 23 June and the final match of their one-day international against South Africa on 24 July.
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