Patel, who was appointed as an interim chair of the club in November, defended the ECB's demands for change, terming them a "responsible governing body" who were right to hold Yorkshire to account as they had "brought the game into disrepute"
Lord Patel has claimed Yorkshire "were going to go bankrupt" had they not been allowed to host international cricket as a result of allegations of racism.
But Patel, who was appointed as an interim chair of the club in November, defended the ECB's demands for change, terming them a "responsible governing body" who were right to hold Yorkshire to account as they had "brought the game into disrepute".
He also revealed he had received "phenomenally racist" abuse from people who "do not accept that racism happened" at the club and that Yorkshire staff had been "abused – some physically, some verbally" as a result of the episode.
The right to host international games was stripped from the club by the ECB board after they were shown the report – which has still not been published – commissioned by Yorkshire into allegations of racism at the club. But Patel, arguing that insolvency of one of the most historic clubs in world cricket would help nobody, instead persuaded them to allow Yorkshire to host games as long as various changes were made.
As a result, governance reform was voted through and a new, more diverse board is in the process of being appointed. Satisfied that progress was genuine, the ECB board relented on the ban.
England are facing New Zealand at Headingley this week [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]
Talking to the BBC's Test Match Special during the first day of the third LV= Insurance Test between England and New Zealand, Patel insisted that warnings of insolvency were genuine and there were times he thought he may never see this day.
"If Test matches or international matches didn't come back here we were going to go bankrupt," Patel said. "We literally were.
"What were you going to do: lay off all of the staff, all of the players and try and come back in a couple of years with all of your sponsors gone? That wasn't realistic.
"Being totally honest, going back to November this seemed a very distant opportunity. It seemed a bit of a pipe dream. When I first came into the job I was determined to make it happen. I thought it would run a lot smoother than it did. It was far, far tougher.
"Without a shadow of a doubt [the ECB were serious about stripping Yorkshire of international cricket]. They are a responsible governing body. Yorkshire unfortunately brought the game of cricket into disrepute. The ECB were doing their job and had to do their job properly. If you had seen all the evidence I have seen, you would put your mortgage on us not getting international cricket back.
"Regulators have to do their job. If something is wrong, they have to follow due process. Yes, it is tough. We had international games removed from us. We provided the evidence to say we are fit for purpose as a club. The other charges stem back from 2004. That is a long time and lots of things have happened.
"I am hoping the line will be drawn after we have given our evidence, we are suitably sanctioned and we move forward. There is going to be a lot of naval-gazing to look across the whole cricket community.
Headingley had been stripped of international cricket by the ECB last year [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
"We worked phenomenally hard seven days a week and had a nine-week window within which to change the environment and make a big difference."
While Patel said the vast majority of people he met were supportive, he did admit he had received some "phenomenally racist" letters which, if he took to the police, would result in prosecutions.
"We have a very small but very vocal group of individuals that do not accept that racism happened at this club," he told the BBC. "I think we have to move beyond that denial. Racism happens in society. It certainly happened at this club.
"Ninety to 95 per cent of members and people I meet on the street and on the train have said thank you for doing what you are doing and have been extremely supportive. But I do have a small but substantial bag of letters that if I was to take to the police I think people would be prosecuted.
"We have just seen the gymnastics report. We know what happened in athletics. We know there is misogyny, discrimination, power imbalances and these things happen. It happened here badly.
"There are some people, for whatever reason... It has impacted and made our lives very difficult.
"It is not about me. It is about all of the staff who are working here tirelessly who have had a year and a half of being the in headlights and a year and a half of being abused; some physically, some verbally. It is them and their families and the players. We had to change for the better and I genuinely think we are."
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