Yorkshire ‘tried to pressure Dawood’ into racism denial

YORKSHIRE stand accused of attempting to pressure a British Asian player into covering up historic allegations of racism in one of the disciplinary charges issued by the ECB last week.

Sportsmail has learned current president geoff Cope and former chairman Robin Smith have been dragged into the racism scandal, with allegations the pair pressured former wicketkeeper ismail Dawood to tell then Bradford MP Terry Rooney he had never experienced any discrimination at the club.

Cope and Smith have not been charged by the ECB as the cricket disciplinary commission’ s jurisdiction does not cover administrators.

But it is understood the longserving yorkshire pair have been named as key protagonists in a general disrepute charge that the county ignored racist behaviour at Headingley for almost two decades. Five other individuals are also named in the indictment against yorkshire.

One of the major elements of yorkshire’s disrepute charge relates to an incident in 2004, when Labour MP Rooney told the House of Commons under parliamentary privilege that there was ‘ deep - rooted, embedded racism in yorkshire County Cricket Club.’

In addition to failing to investigate Rooney’s allegations, the ECB’s investigation has produced claims that yorkshire orchestrated a deliberate cover-up, with Cope and Smith accused of instructing Dawood to tell the MP that his concerns were unfounded.

Dewsbury-born Dawood had just finished his first season at yorkshire at the time, but failed to establish himself in the first team and left Headingley to play minor counties cricket for Cheshire 12 months later.

The 45-year- old went on to become a first-class umpire and two years ago filed an employment claim against the ECB alleging ‘ institutional racism’ along with fellow umpire John Holder, although both cases were later withdrawn.

Cope was chief executive of yorkshire at the time working alongside Smith in his role as chairman, with both men denying there were any problems with racism at the club.

Cope returned to Headingley as president in 2019 and Smith is one of several vice-presidents after standing down as chairman two years ago.

Smith attempted to block changes to the yorkshire board that were pushed through by new chairman Lord Patel earlier this year and has consistently claimed all allegations of racism are false.

‘Racism has never been an issue at yorkshire,’ he told Sportsmail in March.

‘The club is most certainly not institutionally racist. The allegations of racism have not been substantiated.’