Public hearing to respond to allegations of racism in Yorkshire set for early March

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A hearing to look into the Yorkshire-related racism allegations is set to take place between March 1 and March 9, according to the PA news agency.

The club were charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board last June over allegations of racial harassment and bullying made by former player Azeem Rafiq, and their subsequent handling of those allegations.

A number of individuals were also charged at the same time. Only one of those involved, Andrew Gale, has named himself.

The former Yorkshire captain and first-team coach issued a statement in July denying the allegations made against him and saying he would not engage in the disciplinary process, which he described as “tainted”.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club and a number of people were charged today following an ECB investigation into racism and other allegations at the club and its handling of those allegations.

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England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) June 15, 2022

The hearing is to be held in public, after an appeal to hold it behind closed doors was rejected before Christmas.

The AP understands that a guidelines hearing next week will finalize details on where the hearing will take place and precisely how its deliberations will be made public.

It is likely that a stream of proceedings will be made available for journalists to report on, rather than details shared with the general public.

An ECB spokesman said: “An Independent Appeals Panel convened by the Cricket Disciplinary Commission has dismissed appeals by some defendants against the Disciplinary Panel’s Public Hearing decision and, therefore, the hearing will be held in public. Further details, including dates, will be announced in due course. »

Colin Graves has been linked with a return as chairman of Yorkshire (Mike Egerton/PA)

Yorkshire, meanwhile, would not be drawn to a report linking Colin Graves with a surprise return as chairman after Lord Kamlesh Patel confirmed he would step down at the club’s next annual general meeting.

The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that Graves, who served as the club’s executive chairman between 2012 and 2015, has been approached by several Yorkshire board members about returning to Headingley.

A successor to Patel, who has ushered in a series of structural reforms since taking the reins in November 2021 amid the racism scandal, must be approved by county members at the March AGM.

A Yorkshire spokesman said: “Lord Patel will step down as chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club at the next AGM.

“A new chairman will be appointed following a thorough, fair and robust recruitment process, to ensure the right person is in place and to continue the significant progress the club has made during his tenure. .”

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