Cricket

Darren Gough, the former Yorkshire and England fast bowler, has stepped down as the club's managing director of cricket after two seasons in the role. Gough took on the position in an interim capacity in December 2021, following the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis that led to the departure of several senior figures at the club.During his tenure, Gough oversaw the appointment of Ottis Gibson as head coach and implemented a number of changes to the playing squad as Yorkshire sought to rebuild. He also played a key role in the development of the club's performance pathway and the growth of the women's game."It's been an absolute honor to work for my boyhood club over the last two seasons," Gough said. "Having stepped in at a very challenging time, we've worked hard to steady the ship and develop our cricket department to ensure we can return to the top tier of English cricket.""In my time here, we have achieved a great deal that I am proud of. The men's squad has been totally rebuilt with significant improvements behind the scenes across all support areas. This has put both the men's team and the Northern Diamonds in a much better place to be able to compete going forward.""The performance pathway is thriving and continues to lead the way nationally, and there is a real energy around what is happening with the Women's game and the next few years will be transformational I'm sure.""Following conversations with the club, I have decided now is the right time to step away from my role and give someone else an opportunity to take our playing squads forward. I'd like to thank all of our players, staff, members, and fans for their considerable support over the last few seasons and wish them all the very best for the coming year.""I will always be a Yorkshire Cricket supporter and look forward to returning to watch our teams in the coming years."Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer for YCCC, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to work with Darren since taking on this role.""The contribution he has made to stabilize the Club and drive our playing squads forward has been critical and, I know that, as a Yorkshireman who lives and breathes this Club, he has been so proud to carry out the role.""The work that Darren has done over the last two seasons has built some fantastic foundations and we are very grateful for his time, commitment, and the manner in which he has set about his role."Colin Graves, Chair of YCCC, said: "I'd like to express our sincere thanks to Darren for the work he has put in over the last few seasons.""Darren is a club legend in his own right, having enjoyed two very successful stints as a player here and now helped us through some very difficult times in his role as managing director of cricket. Everyone at the club would like to wish him all the best for the future, and we look forward to welcoming him back to Headingley again soon."

Colin Graves, the newly reinstated chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, has yet to offer a direct apology to Azeem Rafiq, the former player who exposed the systemic racism he endured during his time at the club. Graves, who previously served as Yorkshire chair from 2012 to 2015, returned to the role last month despite the club being fined £400,000 for failing to address the racist and discriminatory language used within the organization.When questioned by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee, Graves admitted that he had not personally apologized to Rafiq, stating that he had "plenty of things going on" at the time. This response drew criticism from committee members, who pressed Graves on why he had not reached out to Rafiq directly. Graves maintained that he had apologized publicly and that he would be willing to speak with Rafiq if the opportunity arose.Graves also addressed his previous comments in which he dismissed the accusations of racism as "banter." He acknowledged the insensitivity of his remarks and apologized for using the term. Graves reiterated that he was never made aware of any racism during his previous tenure as Yorkshire chair, attributing it to insufficient processes for recording such incidents.Meanwhile, Cindy Butts, chairwoman of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), accused former England allrounder Ian Botham of spreading "untruths" about the commission's report on racism, sexism, and class-based discrimination in cricket. Butts clarified that Botham was invited to contribute to the report but did not respond. She expressed disappointment that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) did not publicly challenge Botham's comments.ECB chair Richard Thompson revealed that he had contacted Botham to express his disagreement with the latter's remarks. The ECB also published a progress report on its plan to promote inclusivity in cricket, indicating that 11 of its 12 programs were on track. However, Clare Connor, the former England women's captain and ECB deputy chief executive, announced her resignation from her post due to personal reasons.