Yorkshire admit to four ECB charges, as Richard Pyrah becomes fifth man to pull out of CDC hearings

The county will not be required to send representatives to attend a CDC hearing in London in early March following the acceptance of the charges

Yorkshire have admitted to four ECB charges of bringing the game into disrepute, but a further individual has withdrawn his participation from the Cricket Discipline Commission process.

The county will not be required to send representatives to attend a CDC hearing in London in early March following the acceptance of the charges.

However, Richard Pyrah - the club's former player and bowling coach - will have his case heard in his absence after informing the ECB that he is no longer to willing to attend.

Pyrah is one of five men to pull out. Andrew Gale, the former Yorkshire coach, said when he was charged last June that he would not participate in what he viewed as being a "tainted process". The ex-England internationals Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan also withdrew their cooperation last week, along with former Scotland fast bowler John Blain.

^{Yorkshire have admitted to four charges relating to historic racism at Headingley [Getty Images]}

There is no obligation for any individuals charged by the ECB to attend the hearings.

As previously reported by The Cricketer, Gary Ballance, the former Yorkshire captain, has admitted to a charge relating to the use of racially discriminatory language and will not appear in front of the CDC panel. 

Only Michael Vaughan is now expected to attend the hearings in an attempt to clear his name.

The charges labelled against and admitted by Yorkshire include "a failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language over a prolonged period" and "a failure to take adequate action in respect of allegations of racist and/or discriminatory behaviour".

The club's chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, said: "Today's announcement is an important step forward for Yorkshire County Cricket Club as part of its journey to learn from the past.

^{Richard Pyrah has withdrawn from the Cricket Discipline Commission hearings [Getty Images]}

"Since becoming chair it has been clear that we needed to accept and take accountability as a club for the cultural issues which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged."

The CDC hearings will take place between March 1 and March 9. The commission's panel will include CDC chair Tim O'Gorman, Mark Milliken-Smith KC - a leading lawyer who has specialist knowledge of sports law, and Dr Seema Patel, a senior law lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.

The hearings are intended only to establish guilt. Penalties for those admitting liability, and anyone whose ECB charge is upheld, will be determined at a later date. 

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