Yorkshire in a spin of shame
CRICKET can’t continue to ‘mark its own homework’ – and only an independent inquiry can help Yorkshire restore its image after a week of shame.
That’s the view of former sports minister and proud Yorkshireman, Richard Caborn (below).
Friday saw Yorkshire CCC chairman Roger Hutton leave his post alongside two other board members over the club’s response to racism experienced by former star Azeem Rafiq.
Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford, chair of the
England and Wales Cricket Board’s South Asian advisory group has been appointed as a director and chair of the club. A fourth board member, Neil Hartley, will step down in the near future.
Despite the resignations, Caborn believes the county cannot move on until an independent inquiry has laid bare the failures that have created such a mess.
“Many of us really are concerned, not just about the individual involved, but in institutionalised racism,” he said. “Many of us thought that Yorkshire were addressing that, but it’s very clear that they haven’t.
“Hutton has resigned and effectively said that people within the club aren’t prepared to accept responsibility and move on.
“That in itself is hugely concerning. There now needs to be a very clearly independent inquiry.
“If it’s cricket looking at cricket then you’re looking at a ‘marking your own homework’ situation.
“Yorkshire now have to be seen to take a far more proactive approach – an inquiry really needs to look at how the county is run.”
With club sponsors pulling out and the ECB halting international cricket at Headingley, Yorkshire also faces a financial crisis.
Caborn added: “You have to deal with the cause and not the symptoms.”