ECB statement on Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Following Yorkshire CCC's announcement of its proposed refinancing agreement with a consortium led by Colin Graves, the ECB has issued the following statement:

“The ECB notes today’s announcement by Yorkshire County Cricket Club. We have been in regular contact with the club’s leadership as it has sought to address significant financial challenges, and understand they concluded that this proposal was their only viable option to address the situation the club is in and put it on a sustainable footing.

“Considerable work has been carried out at Yorkshire - and across cricket more widely - in recent years to tackle discrimination and make the game more inclusive, and it is vital this continues. We welcome Colin Graves’ commitment to continue this work, his unreserved apology and acceptance of the findings of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC). These words must be put into action if Yorkshire members approve this deal.

“Yorkshire is an incredibly diverse area and the club’s iconic status means it has a huge opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport’s work to become more inclusive. We have been working with the club for some time to support its work in breaking down barriers and becoming more welcoming to people from all backgrounds, and we will continue to do so as we deliver on the actions set out in response to the ICEC.

“In addition, the ECB continues to exercise its ongoing role of ensuring effective oversight of governance across the wider game. There are also significant powers which can be used to hold Yorkshire County Cricket Club to account if it does not continue with the progress and reform we have seen over the last few years.”