Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson appointed Yorkshire co-chair

She will work alongside Lord Kamlesh Patel until he steps down as chair at the club's AGM in March and will then serve as interim chair until a permanent replacement is appointed

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has been appointed co-chair of Yorkshire.

She will work alongside Lord Kamlesh Patel until he steps down as chair at the club's AGM in March and will then serve as interim chair until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Grey-Thompson, a former wheelchair racer who won 11 Paralympic gold medals, joined the club as a non-executive director back in May 2022.

Patel was appointed chair in November 2021, tasked rebuilding Yorkshire in the aftermath of Azeem Rafiq's allegations of racism.

During his tenure, he convinced the ECB to return international hosting rights to Headingley, introduced free kit and coaching to all on the club's pathway and persuaded many sponsors to return. He also presided the exit of around 20 members of staff.

^{Lord Kamlesh Patel is stepping down as chair in March [Oli Scarff/Getty Images]}

He announced his intention to step down at the beginning of January, telling The Cricketer: "Now is the time for me to move on.

"I have achieved most of the things I came in to achieve but, in doing so, I have attracted some fierce criticism. My hope is that when I go, I will take the criticism with me and the new management at the club will be able to move forward without any of that baggage."

Commenting on the latest news, Patel said: "Since arriving at the club I have been driven by a desire to learn from the past and make Yorkshire a benchmark of cohesion and togetherness, ensuring it is an inclusive home for all who play for and support us, now and in the future.

"The process that we have established will ensure we are ideally placed to find a successor who can take on this responsibility and continue to drive our vision forward, building on the progress we have made over the last year.

"I am grateful to the board, and in particular Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson for agreeing to be part of a smooth handover process. It has been a pleasure working alongside such an experienced and committed leadership team, and I know that all are committed to our mission to get this club back to where it deserves to be, both on and off the field."