Yorkshire CCC facing major compensation payouts to sacked staff including Andrew Gale

Gale and five other former employees have won an unfair dismissal claim against the club after Yorkshire accepted that they had a “well-founded” case. The matter will now move on to determining levels of remediation.

The Times has reported the settlements may end up costing the club around £1.5m.

The club said it had accepted that “no disciplinary process was followed” but claimed it believed the dismissals were “necessary and justified”.

The six ex-employees taking legal action were among 16 workers sacked late last year in the wake of the controversy which engulfed Yorkshire following accusations by bowler Rafiq which rocked English cricket.

Yorkshire last year accepted Rafiq had been subjected to racial harassment and bullying but initially elected against taking any action against their employees, leading to widespread criticism and multiple sponsors deserting the club.

A consent judgement based on agreement between the parties and issued by employment judge Joanna Wade also involves bowling coach Rich Pyrah, academy lead Richard Damms, second-team coach Ian Dews, and strength and conditioning coaches Ian Fisher and Peter Sim.

The judge said: “The claimants’ complaints of unfair dismissal are well founded.”

She added: “Remedy and any other complaints proceed to hearing unless otherwise resolved.”

There were no further details in the decision which was made on May 23 following a private hearing but only published on Tuesday.

A Yorkshire CCC spokesperson said: “The Club acknowledges the judgment that no disciplinary process was followed, which it has accepted in order to minimise the Tribunal time taken up by these cases. At this preliminary stage, the Tribunal has not made any judgment on the reasons for dismissal and the Club’s firm view is that the dismissals were necessary and justified.”

Club accounts published last month include exceptional expenditure of £1.9m, which are stated to include a provision in respect of those who have brought legal claims against the club.

The figure also includes the settlement agreement reached with Mr Rafiq following the appointment of new chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel in the wake of the scandal.

The exceptional items figure also includes costs relating to its successful efforts to overturn a suspension on the club hosting international cricket matches. Ticket sales from games this year against New Zealand and South Africa that have now been allowed to go ahead have already generated £2.5m in sales.

The accounts state: “A settlement agreement was reached during the year with Azeem Rafiq in respect of the racism allegation brought against the Club. The exceptional items expenditure includes this settlement and associated legal costs. Also included are the settlement costs and legal fees of other employees who have left the business and a provision in respect of those who have brought legal claims against the club.

“The club has committed to a number of actions to have the suspension of hosting international cricket lifted and any costs in relation to these actions incurred up to 31 December 2021 have also been treated as exceptional items.”

Gale played for Yorkshire as a batsman for more than a decade before becoming first-team coach in 2016.

He was suspended in November after a tweet emerged which he posted in 2010.

The widespread condemnation of Yorkshire over their treatment of Rafiq had huge repercussions for the club last year, including a flood of departures of staff and directors as well as sponsors pulling out and their Headingley Stadium in Leeds being stripped of its lucrative international fixtures.

The fallout provoked widespread debate about the extent of racism within the game as a whole

In December, the club announced a clear-out of their entire coaching team, including Gale and long-serving director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

Gale stated at the time he would take legal action over his dismissal, saying in a statement to BBC Sport: “The decision has come as a surprise to me.

The players knew about it before I did and I will be fighting the decision legally.”

These departures followed those of club president Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur.

Both Gale and Moxon had been heavily criticised at a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hearing at Westminster as Rafiq repeated his call for them to step down from their roles at the club.

Lord Patel was installed as the new chairman of the club six months ago and tasked with overseeing wholesale cultural and structural changes.

Last month, Lord Patel saluted “an overwhelming vote for positive change” as reforms were approved by club members to pave the way for Headingley to stage England matches this summer.

Hosting internationals provides a significant chunk of Yorkshire’s revenue and Headingley will now host England in a Test against New Zealand later this month and South Africa in a one-day international in July.