Cricket

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has bolstered its bowling attack with the acquisition of Northamptonshire seamer Jack White on a two-year contract. White, 32, has impressed in recent seasons, particularly in red-ball cricket, where he has claimed 114 wickets at an impressive average of 25.18.White's move to Yorkshire was facilitated by a clause in his Northamptonshire contract that allowed him to join a Division One club. Yorkshire, who finished second in Division Two last season, secured a return to the top flight for the first time since 2022.White expressed his excitement about joining Yorkshire, stating, "I'm incredibly honored and extremely excited to begin this new chapter with Yorkshire. Headingley is a special place to play, and I'm looking forward to continuing to develop my game and playing my part in achieving success for Yorkshire."Yorkshire's general manager of cricket, Gavin Hamilton, praised White's addition to the team, saying, "We're delighted Jack has committed his future to Yorkshire. He is a brilliant addition to the team, offering up another dimension to our bowling attack."Northamptonshire expressed disappointment at losing White, who was under contract until the end of the 2025 season. However, they wished him well in his future endeavors.White's arrival at Yorkshire is expected to strengthen their bowling lineup, which already includes experienced seamers Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad. The club will be hoping that White can continue his impressive form and help them challenge for silverware in the upcoming season.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has appointed Gavin Hamilton as their new general manager of cricket. Hamilton, a former allrounder who played a Test for England in 1999, will oversee both the men's and women's teams.Hamilton, 50, played his only Test match in November 1999 against New Zealand. He made a pair and bowled 15 wicketless overs. Despite his brief international career, Hamilton had a successful domestic career with Yorkshire and Durham. He scored over 2,000 first-class runs and took over 200 wickets for Yorkshire, helping them win the County Championship title in 2001.After retiring from playing, Hamilton worked for Caledonian Brewery, the Professional Cricketers' Association, and Pure Co. He will start his new role at Yorkshire on November 1 and will work closely with the club's new men's coach, who is expected to be Essex's Anthony McGrath."I am delighted to soon be starting my new role at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the club where I started my career and enjoyed over a decade playing with some great players," Hamilton said. "This is a fantastic opportunity and my ambition in this role is to support the club in achieving sustainable success and to encourage and improve the players and the teams both on and off the pitch."Yorkshire's interim chief executive, Sanjay Patel, said: "Through the interview process we were impressed by Gavin's cricket knowledge, business acumen, and ability to bring people together. We are confident that he will work with the excellent team here at the club to achieve that vision."Yorkshire's men are currently closing in on promotion to Division One of the County Championship, while their women's team will play in Tier 2 of the new domestic structure next year before their elevation to Tier 1 in 2026.

Jonny Bairstow, the explosive English batsman, is set to make his long-awaited return to Yorkshire's County Championship side this week. After a six-week break, the competition resumes with Bairstow eager to prove his worth and regain his place in the England team.Bairstow has only played two first-class matches for Yorkshire since the end of the 2020 season, due to his commitments with England and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has yet to feature for his home county in any format this season, having taken a break after the T20 World Cup and the Hundred.However, Bairstow will be back in action on Thursday against Sussex at Scarborough. Yorkshire currently sit just outside the promotion places in Division Two, four points behind second-placed Middlesex. They have a chance to close the 27-point gap on leaders Sussex this week.Bairstow's return is a major boost for Yorkshire, who have struggled for consistency in his absence. The 32-year-old is a proven match-winner and his experience will be invaluable in the final five games of the season.Bairstow lost his place in England's Test team after a disappointing tour of India earlier this year. He is unlikely to feature in the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Australia in September. However, he remains determined to regain his place in the national side."All I want to do is play for England," Bairstow said at the start of the Hundred. "I'm not going to give up on that."Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson believes Bairstow can rediscover his best form at the county level."Jonny still has ambitions of getting back into the England team," Gibson said. "We can help him get into a position where he puts good performances in, and everybody benefits from that."Yorkshire confirmed on Monday that Bairstow is available to play at Scarborough after recovering from a shoulder niggle. However, his availability for the final four games of the season has not yet been confirmed.

Rich Pyrah, who was dismissed from Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2021 amidst the racism scandal, has been reinstated as the club's women's head coach. Pyrah, who previously served as the men's batting coach, was found guilty of using racist and discriminatory language by the Cricket Discipline Commission. He received a two-week coaching ban and a £2,500 fine.Pyrah was among the 16 staff members who were sacked after signing a letter to the Yorkshire board accusing whistleblower Azeem Rafiq of attempting to "bring down the club" with his allegations of institutional racism. Yorkshire and Pyrah reached a settlement in 2022, with the club acknowledging that his dismissal was "procedurally unfair."Yorkshire's announcement of Pyrah's appointment as women's head coach made no mention of his previous dismissal. Club chairman Colin Graves expressed enthusiasm for Pyrah's return, stating that he was the "right person to lead Yorkshire into the club's new chapter."Pyrah expressed his pride in being appointed to the role, emphasizing the exciting time for women's cricket following the ECB's restructuring of the professional game. Yorkshire will compete in Tier 2 of the ECB's revamped domestic structure next year, with the aim of becoming a Tier 1 county from 2026 onwards.Pyrah's appointment has sparked mixed reactions. Some have welcomed his return, citing his proven development skills and winning mentality. Others have expressed concerns about the message it sends regarding the club's commitment to addressing racism.

Colin Graves, the chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), has faced renewed scrutiny from the chair of the parliamentary committee that oversees sporting bodies. Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS), has questioned the timing and content of Graves' recent claims that demutualisation could be essential for the club's future.Graves' remarks, made in a letter to Yorkshire members on Monday, contradicted his previous assurances that the club would remain a members-owned institution under his leadership. Dinenage expressed concern that Graves had now decided that converting the club to a private structure was "essential."Prior to Graves' bid's approval, he had reassured members that there were no plans to change the mutual status of YCCC. However, his September 2023 offer to the YCCC board, which he initially denied any knowledge of, was contingent on such a demutualisation.Dinenage also questioned the nature of Graves' relationship with the family trust, which oversees £15 million of the club's long-term borrowing. Graves' proposed demutualisation process would unlock those loans and open the club up to private investment.In his update to members, Graves pledged that any potential windfall for himself or his family trust would be donated to a charitable trust supporting Yorkshire recreational cricket. However, Dinenage requested more information on that commitment and set a deadline of May 31 for a response.This is the second time in as many months that Yorkshire has come under parliamentary scrutiny. In April, the CMS released its "Equity in Cricket" report, urging the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to closely monitor the club in the wake of the racism scandal.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has bolstered its bowling attack by signing Sri Lankan quick Vishwa Fernando for the next three County Championship matches. The left-arm seamer, who has 64 Test wickets at an average of 33.09 in 23 caps, will be available for fixtures against Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, and Derbyshire.Fernando's acquisition comes at a crucial time for Yorkshire, who have struggled for wins in the early stages of the season. The club has gone five matches without a victory, including a defeat against Middlesex, and currently sits sixth out of eight in Division Two.The 32-year-old Fernando is expected to make his debut for Yorkshire next week against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. He will be the club's second overseas player in the Championship, alongside skipper Shan Masood. South African Donovan Ferreira has already been confirmed as Yorkshire's overseas player for the Vitality Blast.Fernando's signing is a significant boost for Yorkshire's bowling resources, which have been depleted by injuries to Matthew Fisher, Mickey Edwards, and Matt Milnes. The Sri Lankan seamer has a proven track record at international level, having played a key role in his country's recent 2-0 Test series win in Bangladesh.In the Bangladesh series, Fernando finished second in the wicket-taking charts with 10 dismissals at an average of 16.10. He is also expected to be in contention for Sri Lanka's tour of England later this summer, which begins on August 21 at Emirates Old Trafford.Yorkshire will be hoping that Fernando can help them kickstart their promotion push. The club has a strong squad on paper, but injuries and a lack of form have hindered their progress so far this season.Fernando's arrival will provide Yorkshire with an experienced and proven performer who can help them turn their fortunes around. The Sri Lankan seamer is a skilled bowler who can swing the ball both ways and generate good pace. He will be a valuable addition to Yorkshire's attack and could play a key role in their promotion hopes.

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.