Lord Patel to step down as Yorkshire County Cricket Club chair in March
Yorkshire County Cricket Club says Lord Kamlesh Patel will step down as its chair at the club’s next Annual General Meeting.
Lord Patel, who joined Yorkshire in November 2021, has overseen significant changes at Headingley since the club was rocked by a high profile row over racism which first erupted in September 2020.
Former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq said discrimination at the club had left him suicidal. Since his accusations became public, 16 members of staff have left Yorkshire in an overhaul of its senior leadership.
Patel said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to work for such a prestigious organisation.
“I have made the difficult decision to step aside at the next AGM and enable the club to continue on its important journey of change under a new chair.
“There is still much for the club to do, but I have the strongest faith that Yorkshire will be back at the pinnacle of English cricket for the long-term.”
Stephen Vaughan, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club chief executive, added: “Kamlesh should be extremely proud of what he has achieved at Headingley during his tenure as chair.
“The structures that have been put in place are vital in ensuring that Yorkshire is a club that people are proud to be associated with.
“Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity are at the heart of our club and I am excited to work with the Board, executive team and new chair to continue on this journey of meaningful change.”
The club notes key changes made during Patel’s tenure include offering a safe space for whistleblowers to report discrimination, introduction of a texting service to report discriminatory behaviour confidentially and more family friendly alcohol-free areas.
Yorkshire’s initial handling of the racism scandal was widely criticised and led to a mass exodus of sponsors.
The Headingley ground only returned to the international fixture list in March last year after members voted through reforms to the county’s leadership structure.
