Yorkshire axe entire coaching staff as part of cultural review

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon, head coach Andrew Gale and director of medical services Wayne Morton all had their exits confirmed by Yorkshire on Friday

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As many as sixteen members of Yorkshire’s backroom, coaching and medical staff are to leave the club as part of a cultural review at Headingley.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon, head coach Andrew Gale and director of medical services Wayne Morton all had their departures confirmed by Yorkshire on Friday.

Moxon - who  has been off work due to a stress-related illness - was heavily implicated in the evidence given by Azeem Rafiq to both the initial investigation into allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire, and his subsequent appearance in front of the DCMS select committee.

Gale had already been suspended pending an investigation into anti-Semitic social media posts from 2010. 

They will depart as new chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel, the former ECB director now charged with rehabilitating Yorkshire’s image and standing in the game, continues to make sweeping changes. 

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Director of cricket Martyn Moxon is leaving Headingley (Nigel Roddis/Grtty Images)

Other members of staff at the club expected to leave include coaches Paul Grayson and Richard Pyrah, and the HR director Liz Neto, whose email exchange with a supporter - in which she called the fan a "coward" was reported by BBC Sport in November.

One of those medical staff understood to be effected by the announcement is Peter Sim.

He is currently the strength and conditioning coach with the England Lions squad which is shadowing the England team on the Ashes tour in Brisbane.

It is currently unclear if he is going to remain with the tour party.

Yorkshire will need to move quickly to fill the many voids in their backroom teams, with the new county season just four months away and players reporting for pre-Christmas fitness training. 

YORKSHIRE STAFF DEPARTURES
Martyn Moxon (director of cricket)
Andrew Gale (head coach)
Richard Pyrah (bowling coach)
Paul Grayson (batting coach)
Ian Dews (second team coach)
Richard Damms (academy coach)
Backroom medical team, provided by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic
Liz Neto (head of HR)

A new director of cricket is expected to be announced next week.

Patel said: “Significant change is required at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to regain trust. The decisions announced today were difficult to make, but are in the best interests of the club. Without making important changes to how we are run, we cannot move on from the past to become a culture which is progressive and inclusive.

“We want to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a place for everyone, from all backgrounds. To do this, we need to rebuild our culture and instil positive values in everyone associated with Yorkshire. We are determined to learn from the mistakes of the past to become a club which people can trust.'

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Head coach Andrew Gale is to depart (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

“We are hoping to announce a new director of cricket in the coming days. We have a huge rebuilding job to do but we are confident that this heralds a step forward towards a brighter future.”

The mass exodus comes the month after former chairman Roger Hutton and ex-chief executive Mark Arthur both resigned their posts.

On Thursday, Yorkshire announced the appointment of the Good Governance Institute and law firm Howard Kennedy to conduct an independent governance review of the club.

The report is due to be presented to the Yorkshire board and the ECB on January 24, while its recommendations for the future governance of Yorkshire will be made widely available ahead of the club’s AGM in March.

Meanwhile, a whistleblower hotline for former employees of the club to detail any experiences of racism or other discrimination during their time at Headingley has received more than 50 messages since it was established on November 15.

The chair of the DCMS select committee, Julian Knight MP, said on Friday that he welcomed the decision by Yorkshire to part with the respective members of staff.

In a statement, Knight said: “The experience of Azeem Rafiq at YCCC demanded no less.

“On Tuesday we will be discussing racism in cricket with the National Asian Cricket Council and considering the ECB’s 12-point plan to tackle it.”

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