Yorkshire first-team coach Andrew Gale has been suspended "pending a disciplinary hearing following a historical tweet" while director of cricket Martyn Moxon is absent from work due to a "stress-related illness"
Thursday 11 November 2021 06:11, UK
Yorkshire first-team coach Andrew Gale has been suspended "pending a disciplinary hearing following a historical tweet".
The county have also announced director of cricket Martyn Moxon is absent from work due to a "stress-related illness".
Gale told the Jewish News last week he had been "completely unaware" of the meaning of an offensive, antisemitic word he used in a historical and subsequently deleted tweet, after the newspaper reported the story.
A statement from the club read: "We can confirm that Andrew Gale, Yorkshire first XI coach, is currently suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following a historical tweet.
"The club will make a further statement once this process has been completed."
Meanwhile Moxon, who has faced calls to resign from former chairman Roger Hutton in addition to numerous others, is currently absent from Headingley.
"Director of cricket Martyn Moxon is, as of today (November 9), absent from work due to a stress-related illness. He will be given the necessary support," a club statement added.
Azeem Rafiq has repeatedly called for Moxon and chief executive Mark Arthur to leave Yorkshire in response to the racism crisis at Headingley.
He said in a statement on Monday: "Mark Arthur, Martyn Moxon and many of those in the coaching staff have been part of the problem.
"They have consistently failed to take responsibility for what happened on their watch and must go. I urge them to do the right thing and resign to make way for those who will do what is needed for the club's future."
The government has vowed to "step in" with "real action" if Yorkshire and the England and Wales Cricket Board falls short in their response to the racism crisis at the county.
An urgent question on the matter was brought to parliament by Stockport MP Nav Mishra, with culture minister Chris Philp telling the House of Commons racism must be "confronted" and "eradicated" in the sport before calling for further resignations at Headingley.
Hutton stepped down as chair last week citing frustrations over the handling of Rafiq's claims of institutional racism, but Philp suggested that was not enough by telling MPs: "If there is anybody left from that regime, they should resign as well."
Philp said the situation faced by former player Rafiq was "unacceptable", should "never have been allowed to happen" and should have been "dealt with properly" during the initial investigation.
The case must be a "watershed moment for cricket", the minister added.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Philp said: "We have been clear with the England and Wales Cricket Board that this needs a full, transparent investigation both into the incidents involving Azeem Rafiq but also into the wider cultural issues at Yorkshire Cricket Club."
