Yorkshire racism scandal sees club hit with £400,000 fine and points deduction
Yorkshire County Cricket Club have been docked 48 points from the 2023 County Championship and fined £400,000 – of which £300,000 is suspended for two years.
The punishment is for the club’s handling of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal. Yorkshire have also been deducted four points in the 2023 T20 Blast.
The club had previously admitted to four amended charges and has accepted the sanctions imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission.
But the club also emphasises that the commission and the ECB “have acknowledged the vast amount of work done by YCCC to overcome the cultural issues that existed within the club, which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged.”
In a statement release this afternoon, the club adds: “We are disappointed to receive the points deductions which affects players and staff at the club, who were not responsible for the situation.
“They have worked tirelessly on and off the field to rebuild Yorkshire into an inclusive and welcoming club that reflects the communities it serves.
“There remains much to do, but we have made significant investments to put in place best practice processes and procedures, as well as driving equity, diversity and inclusion through a new framework and taking important steps to improve the matchday experience to encourage greater inclusivity and tackle discrimination.
“This is in addition to the real progress we have seen on our Performance Pathway, ensuring young cricketers from all backgrounds can take part regardless of their economic circumstances.”
Former Yorkshire player Rafiq had said racist language was used “constantly” during his time at the club.
Six ex-Yorkshire players found to have used racist language at Yorkshire were hit with fines and bans by the CDC in May.
But former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared “on the balance of probabilities” by the panel of using racist language towards Rafiq.
In March, Yorkshire chief executive Stephen Vaughan warned the club faced a £3.5m shortfall and needed to repay £14.9m to the Graves Trust, one of its major creditors.
