Headingley allowed to host Test matches after Yorkshire members vote in favour of changes
Yorkshire was stripped of its right to host lucrative international matches in the wake of its handling of racism allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq, but Lord Patel was hired as chair in November to help oversee wholesale changes.
Friday 1 April 2022 06:11, UK
Yorkshire County Cricket Club members have overwhelmingly voted in favour of structural changes required by the ECB that will allow international fixtures to be staged at Headingley.
The club was stripped of its right to host international matches as punishment for the handling of racism allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq. This summer's internationals were reinstated by the ECB in February on the provision that changes went ahead ahead of Thursday's deadline.
"The Members of Yorkshire County Cricket Club tonight overwhelmingly passed three special resolutions at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in the Long Room at Headingley," a statement read.
"The club can now continue to drive the right approach through essential governance reforms and meets conditions set by the England and Wales Cricket Board for the return of International and major matches at their ground."
More than 1,100 members of the country voted in person, electronically or via proxy, with a minimum two-thirds threshold required for the changes to be approved.
Full resolutions
- Resolution 1 will see Lord Patel and Mr Hudson formally appointed to the Board for an "infinite period."
- Resolution 2 will "release the directors from liability resulting from the invalidity of their actions or appointment since November 5, 2021."
- Resolution 3 confirms board composition including the "appointment of non-executive directors, the ex-officio board membership of the chief executive officer and the managing director of cricket and the ability to appoint up to two club members to the board, while providing for membership oversight over non-executive directors board membership."
Headingley is set to host an England men's Test match against New Zealand on June 23 and a one-day international against South Africa on July 24.
"We welcome the outcome of this EGM and thank the members for their full and proper consideration, an open exchange of views, and their votes," said Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel.
"It is an overwhelming vote for positive change. 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.
"Yorkshire has now met the ECB's conditions for the return of international cricket and, working with them, we'll deliver some great events here at Headingley this summer.
"We're looking forward to the start of the season, for all our teams and for cricket at all levels right across this county."
Lord Patel was appointed in November in view of leading the enforcement of wholescale change, and has since dismissed 16 members of the county's backroom staff including former director of cricket Martyn Moxon and first-team coach Andrew Gale.
Thursday's EGM follows two previous efforts that were cancelled amid ex-chairman Robin Smith publicly deeming the new chairmanship of Lord Patel as invalid.
"We are pleased that Yorkshire members have given their overwhelming support to these reforms," said an ECB spokesperson. "This is an important step forward in bringing about real change and setting the club on course for a more inclusive future.
"We welcome the progress made by Lord Patel so far, as well as his commitment to making the club one which everyone, from all backgrounds, can be proud of. With these governance reforms now having been passed, we are satisfied that international cricket can now be staged at Headingley this summer.
"However, there is much work still to be done at Yorkshire and 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."
