Yorkshire propose fan representation on board of directors

If passed at February's general meeting, two spaces on the board will be available to club members to ensure the club is 'open, transparent and engaging'

Yorkshire have proposed an expansion to their board of directors which would see two spaces on the committee filled by club members.

In December, the club began accepting applications for six non-executive directors to the board. A shortlist of eight candidates will be recommended by the nominations committee for member approval.

However, in a bid to ensure the club is "open, transparent and engaging", chairman Lord Patel is interested in appointing two individuals from the club’s membership base to the board.

If approved at the club’s general meeting on February 2, nominations will be accepted for the two seats before being put to a member vote at a later date.

^{Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel [Oli Scarff/Getty Images]}

Yorkshire is currently undergoing a period of transition following the fallout from Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at the club.

Ahead of November’s DCMS select committee hearing, club chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur resigned from their positions while at the beginning of December, the entire coaching team, including head coach Andrew Gale and director of cricket Martyn Moxon, were sacked.

Lord Patel and Darren Gough have stepped in as chairman and director of cricket, respectively, while a partnership with PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars was launched in December as the club looks to create a more inclusive culture.

However, on January 11, interim coach, Ryan Sidebottom, was forced to apologise for a media appearance in which he encouraged fans and the wider game to "forget about" the racism crisis engulfing the sport.

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