Crisis club to lose £1m as they are blocked from hosting Test matches

Yorkshire were plunged into further crisis last night with the eCB blocking them from hosting a Test match and one-day international due to be staged at headingley next summer. The move came at the end of another hugely damaging day for the county, which also saw kit supplier Nike and several other sponsors terminate commercial deals. in a strongly worded statement following an emergency board meeting, the eCB described Yorkshire’s handling of the Azeem rafiq affair as ‘abhorrent’ and suspended their hosting rights until they have improved their governance. english cricket’s governing body also banned Gary Ballance from playing for england after he admitted calling his former teammate a ‘P**i’. Yorkshire are expected to respond later today after hastily arranging an emergency board meeting of their own, at which the futures of chairman roger hutton, chief executive Mark Arthur and director of cricket

Martyn Moxon will be up for discussion amid widespread calls for resignations. As reported by Sportsmail last month, the eCB are preparing to charge Yorkshire with bringing the game into disrepute. But they took dramatic pre-emptive action yesterday by suspending the club from hosting ‘international or major matches until it has clearly demonstrated that it can meet the standards expected of an international venue, eCB member and first-class county’. headingley is due to host a Test against New Zealand next summer, starting on June 23, as well as a one-day international against south Africa on July 24, with both matches now blocked until the club can satisfy the eCB it has implemented reforms. The second and third day of the Test are almost sold out. Unless Yorkshire find a resolution to placate eCB chiefs, being stripped of the match would cost the club more than £1million in ticket and hospitality revenue — at a time when they have been severely hit by the loss of almost all their sponsors. in addition, the eCB have also commissioned a review of Yorkshire’s governance to determine whether their existing arrangements are fit for purpose. ‘The YCCC’s handling of the issues raised by Azeem rafiq is wholly unacceptable and is causing serious damage to the reputation of the game,’ an eCB statement read. ‘The eCB find this matter abhorrent and against the spirit of cricket and its values. There is no place for racism or any form of discrimination in cricket. ‘This matter must be dealt with robustly if the sport is to

demonstrate its commitment to being a game for everyone.’ Ballance faces formal disciplinary proceedings after admitting using racist language towards Rafiq and has been banned from playing for England, a largely symbolic punishment as the 31-year-old’s last Test appearance was in 2017. The ECB’s move was welcomed by the chair of the parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee Julian Knight MP, who said ‘The ECB’s action in taking international cricket away from Yorkshire should act as a short, sharp shock to bring the club to its senses.’ Nike became the eighth major sponsor to sever ties with the club, a painful blow given there were three-and-a-half years left to run on a four-year contract. Harrogate Spring Water also walked away and Leeds Beckett university said they would pause projects with the club. The club said: ‘Nike will no longer be the kit supplier for Yorkshire CCC. We stand firmly against racism and discrimination of any kind.’