Yorkshire's Ashes Test could be in danger if plan to force out Kamlesh Patel is successful

GEORGE DOBELL - EXCLUSIVE: A group of 30 Yorkshire members have arranged a meeting on Thursday, where they will discuss whether to call for an extraordinary general meeting, and subsequently a vote of no confidence in Patel and the current board

Yorkshire's right to host an Ashes Test could be thrown into jeopardy again if an attempt to force Kamlesh Patel to resign as the club's chair is successful.

A group of 30 Yorkshire members have arranged a meeting in Leeds on Thursday, where they will discuss whether to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), and subsequently a vote of no confidence in Patel and the current board. 

The group, which includes former club chairs Robin Smith as well as former MCC president Phillip Hodson, requires the signatures of 400 members to call an EGM, while such a motion would require a two-thirds majority to be passed. Patel's previous calls for governance reforms at the club were passed with an 86 per cent majority. 

The group is unhappy at the club's response to the allegations of racism which have caused such upheaval and the summary dismissal of more than a dozen members of staff. Subsequent employment tribunals have confirmed the dismissals were not procedurally sound - a state of affairs not contested by the club - and have resulted in the payments of the individuals' notice periods, which are understood to have amounted to almost £500,000.

^{A group of Yorkshire members are meeting to consider calling an extraordinary general meeting [Getty Images]}

The group is also understood to be unhappy about the club's intention to plead guilty to ECB charges relating to accusations of racism. In several cases, the charges correspond to the periods during which they were in office. 

The ECB does not have jurisdiction over former administrators - a significant weakness in the governance of the sport - but Patel was appointed with the consent of the ECB to improve the culture of the club, and it was the actions he took which persuaded them to allow them to host international cricket again. The ECB board had originally stripped Yorkshire of the right to do so. 

Any suggestion that Patel's reforms could be derailed is sure to cause considerable unease at the ECB, and The Cricketer understands the board will discuss the implications.

Should the Test be taken from Yorkshire, the club would almost immediately become insolvent. In that scenario, Colin Graves - whose trusts are now owed around £16m by the club - would almost certainly take control as the biggest creditor. Patel is currently understood to be negotiating a commercial loan in order to pay-off the entirety of the debt.

At the same time, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is likely to renew its interest in the club. The Commission originally stated it was "likely that an unlawful act has taken place" at the club, connected to the allegations of racism, but then expressed "confidence that the new management at the club is taking appropriate steps to deal with past failures, including the departure of the entire management team." 

^{Lord Patel is the current chair of Yorkshire [Getty Images]}

The Commission said it would "be monitoring the club's action plan closely and we reserve the right to take legal action if the action plan isn't implemented properly." 

Meanwhile, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has dismissed reports from the Daily Mail suggesting she was considering quitting the Yorkshire board. In a statement, she said she continued to be "aligned with my fellow board members and remain committed to taking the club forward and driving meaningful change".

Finally, the publication of the report from the Commission for Equity in Cricket has been delayed once more. The report, which has heard from over 4,200 witnesses, was due to be published at the start of December. It is now expected at the end of January.