Andrew Gale

Abhishek Singh ∙ 6 Dec 2021

Yorkshire appoint new Managing Director as sacked support staff plan legal action against club

Darren Gough, the former England all-rounder has been appointed as the new Managing Director of cricket at the Yorkshire Cricket Club. The North England club and its new Chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel and ECB in support are trying to bring back the people to support it once again after the Azeem Rafiq fiasco. This appointment comes in days after the entire coaching and support staff being sacked by the club as a reaction to Rafiq’s claims. The 16 members of the support staff, who were sacked unanimously by the YCC on December 4 after its former skipper Rafiq made claims of racil abuse before a Parliamentary Committee, have now decided to file a legal suit against the club. They have jointly written a letter to the Yorkshire Board which is headed by chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel, who was appointed after Martyn Moxon, the director of cricket of Yorkshire was sacked along with other board members. In the letter, the sacked support staff which includes head coach Andrew Gale, a club legend, have written that Rafiq's claims have done immense damage to the club and further accused him as a man on a mission to bring the club down. Ever since Rafiq’s case came in the limelight, major sponsors cut off their ties with one of the famous English cricket clubs and the England and Wales Cricket Board also barred it from hosting international matches in the near future. Gough pledged to bring back the glory to Yorkshire in his first press statement as Managing Director of Cricket. “Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been part of my life since my earliest days in cricket when I made my debut in 1989, and I spent 15 happy years at the Club. Like many, I have followed how the Club handled the recent racism allegations with sadness and anger,” said Gough who represented England in 58 Tests and 159 ODIs from 1994 to 2006. “I want to play my part in rebuilding cricket in Yorkshire and I am looking forward to working with the exceptionally talented group of players here. I share Lord Patel’s vision for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and the collective determination to face the issues head-on with a series of positive actions. The change will not happen overnight, but I am certain that we can make Headingley roar again,” he added.