Yorkshire CCC facing financial crisis as board members plan to vote against reforms
Yorkshire board set to vote on reforms drawn up by the ECB, with the county's ability to host international cricket at stake; absence of England games at Headingley would make it virtually impossible for the club to pay players' wages and complete the domestic season
Thursday 24 March 2022 17:05, UK
Some members of Yorkshire's board are planning to vote against key reforms aimed at overcoming institutional racism at the county, leaving the club at risk of a major financial crisis.
The Yorkshire board has until the end of March to accept reforms drawn up by the England and Wales Cricket Board in the wake of former player Azeem Rafiq's revelations of racism within the county set up, with their ability to host international cricket at Headingley this summer at stake.
An extraordinary general meeting of the Yorkshire board, at which the crucial vote is set to take place, has been scheduled for March 31, but with just a week to go until that date, Sky Sports News has been told that "a proportion of members" are intent on voting against the changes.
The ECB announced last month that it would lift its suspension on the club hosting major matches provided certain conditions were met by the specified date, which would enable Headingley to host an England men's Test match against New Zealand and a one-day international against South Africa.
However, the cancellation of two EGMs have already been forced as board members cited "administration errors", while Sky Sports News has been told that even if the meeting does go ahead next week, some senior officials will reject any decisions passed as unlawful.
Lord Kamlesh Patel, Yorkshire's acting chairman, warned in January of a catastrophic financial crisis if the hosting suspension wasn't lifted ahead of the summer. If upheld, the suspension would make it virtually impossible for the club to pay players' wages and complete the domestic cricket season, with the 2022 County Championship set to begin on April 7.
The club is still reeling after being dumped by many of its sponsors following Rafiq's comments in September 2020, in which he said "institutional racism" had left him close to taking his own life.
As part of the ECB reforms, Yorkshire has been told it must ratify the appointment of Lord Patel as chairman, as well as recognising eight independent members to the 12-strong cricket club board.
Former Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves said on Wednesday that he would vote in favour of the reforms, insisting the club "needs to move on", but the likes of current vice-chairman Robin Smith have expressed opposition to the changes, declaring Lord Patel's chairmanship invalid.
'Yorkshire can continue process of club's rehabilitation'
Earlier on Thursday, Julian Knight, chair of the DCMS committee that heard Rafiq's emotional testimony in November last year, said acceptance of the reforms could be "the first step" in cricket's fight against racism.
Knight said: "Our view that sustained action is urgently needed to root out endemic racism in cricket is one that has now received overwhelming support from across the board.
"The ECB, Professional Cricketers' Association and long-standing sponsors, who have severed their links with Yorkshire over the club's approach to tackling the problem, are all now on the same page and the committee and the Government are speaking as one.
"Anyone who still fails to acknowledge the deep-seated nature of racism in the sport, while using distraction tactics to frustrate much-needed reforms, is in the minority.
"Next week, by voting for the reforms put forward by Lord Patel, Yorkshire members can continue the process of the club's rehabilitation. This should be just the first step in cricket putting its house in order.
"Such a move however will not only secure the long-term future of the club by restoring international matches to Headingley but will act as a signal to the wider cricketing world that, with the right will, strong and determined action can be taken to tackle the scourge of racism that has stained the game."
Government endorses DCMS recommendations
The DCMS committee had recommended that cricket face funding cuts if it failed to demonstrate it is ridding the game of racism, something which the Government has now endorsed.
It also supported the recommendation that the ECB provides quarterly updates on its progress on making the sport more inclusive.
The Government said in its response: "The Government will continue to call in the ECB quarterly and track their progress in tackling racism and increasing diversity, and will hold them to account for delivery against the joint 12-point action plan published in November 2021.
"This is in line with the ECB's commitment to provide quarterly public updates against this plan.
"We expect to see evidence of improvements across the sport and delivery on the ECB's ambition to eradicate racism from cricket.
"However if these changes are not made and implemented, the Government reserves the right to intervene
further. This has been made clear to the ECB and the first-class counties."
