ECB urged by MPs to monitor Yorkshire in wake of Colin Graves' re-election

The ECB has been warned by MPs to keep a close eye on Yorkshire in the wake of Colin Graves' re-election as chair, to ensure that the club does not renege on its commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Yorkshire were last year fined a total of £400,000 and handed points deductions by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC), following their handling of Azeem Rafiq's revelations of institutional racism at the club.

Graves, who previously served as Yorkshire's chair between 2012-15, was last year sanctioned by the ECB for dismissing allegations of racist incidents during his tenure as "banter", but issued a "personal and unreserved" apology to all victims of racism following his return to the post in February.

Graves appeared before the DCMS select committee shortly after his reappointment in February, where he was challenged by MPs on his plans for Yorkshire's refinancing - including an immediate cash injection of £1 million, followed by further investment worth £4 million. His family trust, which is managed by independent trustees, is still owed nearly £15 million by the club.

In its Equity in Cricket report, released on Friday, the committee said: "We expect the ECB to closely monitor Yorkshire CCC to their work and ensure that there is no return to the 'business as usual' that allowed a culture of discrimination to take root and thrive at the club. We urge the ECB and the cricket regulator to pay particular attention to the future performance of Yorkshire CCC in relation to inequality."

In June 2023, a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) castigated English cricket on the grounds of class, race and gender, with Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, describing its findings as a "wake-up call" and an opportunity to "reset cricket". It has been recommended by the committee that the ECB publishes a progress report on the anniversary of the publication, addressing each of its 44 recommendations.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, the committee's chair, said: "The ECB has made welcome progress on fixing the problems facing cricket identified so powerfully in the ICEC report. To achieve its ambition for cricket to be the most inclusive sport in the country and truly welcoming to all it must be open on how it is backing up its words with actions.

"The start of the county cricket season is always a time for optimism, and we hope that members at Headingley can look forward to a successful future, with a board committed to a member-led club and a continued focus on tackling discrimination. The ECB should keep a close eye on progress to ensure Yorkshire continues going down the road to reform."

The report was released on the same day that the UK government announced a £35 million investment into grassroots and state school cricket, with the aim of enabling 900,000 young people to play cricket over the next five years.

Responding to the report, Thompson added: "We welcome the ongoing support and scrutiny from DCMS following the publication of the ICEC Report.

"We are keen to forge ahead and continue with the changes we have already been implementing in our ambition to become the most inclusive sport in England and Wales."