Roger Hutton’s resignation came after criticism of Yorkshire’s handling of Azeem Rafiq’s racism case; An emergency meeting was called to discuss the club’s response, and Lord Kamlesh Patel has been appointed as the new president; non-executive directors Hanif Malik and Stephen Willis also resigned
The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has appointed Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford as its new president, replacing Roger Hutton, who resigned over the club’s response to the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.
Hutton left before Friday’s emergency meeting and asked other board members to consider their positions and stand down.
That call was taken, and the club confirmed that non-executive directors Hanif Malik and Stephen Willis had also resigned.
Vice Chairman Neil Hartley will remain on the board to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership, but he also intends to resign in the near future. Sky Sports News has learned.
Speaking of his new appointment, Lord Patel said: “I am looking forward to moving this club forward and driving the change that is needed.
“The club needs to learn from its past mistakes, regain confidence and rebuild relationships with our communities.
“There is a lot of work to do, including reading the panel report, so that we can begin the process of learning from our past mistakes.
“Yorkshire is fortunate to have a vast talent pool of cricketers and passionate supporters from all of our communities and we must re-engage with everyone to make a better Yorkshire County cricket club for all.”
The resignations followed an investigation that found that Rafiq was the victim of racial harassment and intimidation, and the club stated that it would not take any disciplinary action.
The ECB said it was “clear” that Yorkshire’s handling of the matter was “totally unacceptable and is causing serious damage to the reputation of the game.”
Former president Hutton, who joined the club’s board in 2020, issued a statement on Friday confirming his decision to resign and suggesting that senior officials in the Yorkshire executive did not take Rafiq’s experiences seriously enough. .
“I never met Azeem and I was not at the club during the period he was employed. However, I know that when someone makes claims as serious as yours, they must be investigated and changes must be made,” Hutton said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to fully apologize to Azeem. The club should have recognized at that time the serious accusations of racism.”
“I regret that we were unable to persuade the executive members of the board to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and to show care and contrition.
“I remain disappointed that legal restrictions, including an ongoing labor court, have prevented the investigation report from being released and I look forward to the time when everyone can see its recommendations. I hope it will be released as soon as possible.”
“I want to make it clear that when I learned of Azeem Rafiq’s allegations, I immediately contacted the ECB to ask for their help and intervention to support a robust investigation.
“It saddened me when they refused to help because I felt it was a matter of great importance to the game as a whole.”
Refuting the ECB’s claims that Yorkshire’s handling of the case fell far short of expected standards, Hutton even accused the national governing body of showing an unwillingness to act on the allegations.
“It is a matter of record that I have continually expressed my frustration at the ECB’s reluctance to act,” Hutton added.
“There has been a constant unwillingness on the part of the executive members of the board and the club’s top management to apologize, accept that there was racism and look forward.
“For much of my time at the club, I experienced a culture that refuses to accept changes or challenges.
“During my time as chairman, I take responsibility for not persuading you to take appropriate and timely action. This frustration has been shared by all non-executive members of the board, some of whom have also resigned.
“Now I call on the executive members of the board to resign, to make way for a new path for the club that I love so much.
