Yorkshire CCC EGM: Members back key reforms letting England games return to Headingley

An emergency general meeting took place at Headingley on Thursday night to vote on the reforms, with online and postal votes made in the run-up to the event.

The three resolutions were all passed by more than 80 per cent of members - well above the two-thirds majority needed to pass the changes.

Lord Kamlesh Patel, the club chairman, said: "It is an overwhelming vote for positive change."

The meeting took place on the same day as a deadline set by the ECB for the reforms to be agreed so that international cricket could return.

The ECB suspended Yorkshire CCC from hosting international matches in November as a result of the racism scandal suffered by former player Azeem Rafiq but said in February it felt sufficient progress had been made under Lord Patel that the suspension could be lifted - meaning that a planned England Test Match at Headingley against New Zealand in June and a One-Day game against South Africa in July were put back on the international schedule.

Hosting international cricket is vital to the club's finances - its most recently-published accounts showed in 2019 that from its overall £18m revenue, £10.4m came from international games and a circular sent to members in advance of tonight's meeting had warned the entire future of the club would be in doubt if Test cricket does not return.

But the ECB's that international cricket could return was contingent on two conditions - that by the end of March, Yorkshire must have resolved issues relating to rule changes and decisions which had been subject to "procedural flaws" and that club rules must be amended relating to the appointment and operation of the board, including the removal of powers currently held by the Graves Trust.

The ECB was seeking a change which will see the Graves Trusts, which are linked to the family of former Yorkshire and England Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves and owed millions by the club, lose veto powers over future board decisions. This decision was approved prior to the meeting following the approval of the Trusts to the change.

But in relation to the "procedural flaws", an “oversight” in notifying the Financial Conduct Authority about club rule changes had meant Lord Patel’s appointment as chair in November was not legally valid, while there were not enough serving directors for the appointment of club secretary and acting CEO Paul Hudson in December to be valid either.

Details about Lord Patel's chairmanship being technically invalid were first made public by former Yorkshire chair Robin Smith - sparking a public war of words between the pair in the run-up to tonight's vote.

Members were asked to formalise the appointments of Lord Patel and Mr Hudson as part of the reforms process and prevent them facing potential legal action over decisions made since November, including the sackings of 16 staff members.

The first resolution - formalising the appointments of Lord Patel and Mr Hudson - was approved by 932 votes to 155, with 22 abstentions - meaning more than 85 per cent backed the decision.

The second resolution - releasing the board members from any potential personal legal liability - was passed by 897 votes to 182 with 28 abstentions - an approval rate of 83 per cent.

A third resolution - relating to board rule changes including the appointment of up to eight new independent non-executive directors - was approved by 927 votes to 159 with 19 abstentions, representing an 85 per cent approval rate.

Lord Patel said: "We welcome the outcome of this EGM and thank the Members for their full and proper consideration, an open exchange of views, and their votes.

“It is an overwhelming vote for positive change.

“This support will help Yorkshire County Cricket Club to be an inclusive and welcoming place and gives us the clarity and certainty we need to keep building this great club.

“Yorkshire has now met the ECB’s conditions for the return of international cricket and, working with them, we’ll deliver some great events here at Headingley this summer.

“We’re looking forward to the start of the season, for all our teams and for cricket at all levels right across this County.”

The vote means Yorkshire’s ground will play host to England men’s LV=Insurance Test against New Zealand from Thursday 27 June and the final match of the Royal London Series against South Africa on Sunday 24 July.

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