Northern Diamonds snub is not punishment for Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, insists ECB

The England and Wales Cricket Board insists it is not issuing further punishment for the racism scandal on Yorkshire with its decision to overlook the county for a Tier 1 women’s team from 2025.
Nick Westby
By Nick Westby
Published 19th Apr 2024, 17:00 BST

The ECB announced this week that control of the Northern Diamonds will go to Durham from next season with Yorkshire not part of the initial round of eight counties that will carry the women's game forward.

Yorkshire have been approved alongside Glamorgan to be elevated by 2027 and a further expansion to 12 teams is planned from 2029.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, the decision to overlook a county that founded the Diamonds in 2016, has hosted 60 per cent of their games since the ECB merged them with Durham in 2020 and is home to 160 girls and women’s clubs, has been met with “surprise and disappointment” at Yorkshire.

Northern Diamonds' players Lauren Winfield-Hill, Leah Dobson, Sterre Kalis, Lizzie Scott and Jess Woolston in action last summer (Picture: SWPix.com)Northern Diamonds' players Lauren Winfield-Hill, Leah Dobson, Sterre Kalis, Lizzie Scott and Jess Woolston in action last summer (Picture: SWPix.com)
Northern Diamonds' players Lauren Winfield-Hill, Leah Dobson, Sterre Kalis, Lizzie Scott and Jess Woolston in action last summer (Picture: SWPix.com)

The snub represents the latest setback for this proud cricketing county that has been dragged through the mud by the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, which in turn led to financial pressures that prompted the reappointment of the divisive Colin Graves as chair earlier this year.

But ECB chief executive Richard Gould has made it clear there was no sense of re-litigating those issues in a process that was focused entirely on elevating women’s cricket to fresh heights.

“It’s certainly not (about) being punished for past sins, that’s not our role,” he said. “Our role is to promote the game, not punish.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It will be disappointing for those venues that either haven’t been selected for tier one at this point or who have been, but perhaps not quite as quickly as they expected.

The Northern Diamonds team for 2024. Back Row (L-R) - Katherine Fraser, Grace Hall, Abi Glen, Sterre Kalis, Rebecca Duckworth, Lizzie Scott, Sophia Turner, Jessica Woolston, Beth Langston. Front Row (L-R) - Phoebe Turner, Leah Dobson, Katie Levick, Hollie Armitage, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Emma Marlow, Rachel Slater (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)The Northern Diamonds team for 2024. Back Row (L-R) - Katherine Fraser, Grace Hall, Abi Glen, Sterre Kalis, Rebecca Duckworth, Lizzie Scott, Sophia Turner, Jessica Woolston, Beth Langston. Front Row (L-R) - Phoebe Turner, Leah Dobson, Katie Levick, Hollie Armitage, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Emma Marlow, Rachel Slater (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)
The Northern Diamonds team for 2024. Back Row (L-R) - Katherine Fraser, Grace Hall, Abi Glen, Sterre Kalis, Rebecca Duckworth, Lizzie Scott, Sophia Turner, Jessica Woolston, Beth Langston. Front Row (L-R) - Phoebe Turner, Leah Dobson, Katie Levick, Hollie Armitage, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Emma Marlow, Rachel Slater (Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)

“There will be individual circumstances but I don’t think anybody should see this as anything other than a positive for the women’s game – we’ve had 16 counties bidding so strongly to host professional women’s cricket.

“We were relieved by the amount of focus, attention and love that was being put into the women’s game in those bids.”

Kent and Leicestershire have also voiced their disappointment at missing out on a team while Yorkshire said in a statement on Thursday: “The news is especially frustrating and upsetting for the players and staff at the Northern Diamonds. Our focus is on supporting them through this difficult period and gaining clarity on what the future looks like.”

It is, as yet, unclear what damage – if any – this will do to the women’s pathway in Yorkshire.

Related topics:YorkshireAzeem RafiqDurhamGlamorganLeicestershire

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.