Andrew Gale breaks silence on racism accusations; refuses to engage with ECB disciplinary process

The former Yorkshire head coach, who was sacked last December, issued a lengthy statement on social media. He was one of seven individuals charged by the ECB earlier in June

Andrew Gale has broken his silence on events at Yorkshire, outlining his intention not to engage with the ECB’s disciplinary process in a lengthy social media post. 

The former Yorkshire head coach was sacked from his position, alongside 15 other staff members, last December after being implicated in Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at the club. 

Earlier in June, he was one of seven individuals charged by the ECB with bringing the game into disrepute. Those charges are due to be heard by a Cricket Discipline Commission panel no earlier than September.

Meanwhile, Gale and several other former employees of Yorkshire are pursuing an unfair dismissal claim, with a tribunal due to rule on the cases on October 31.

In his statement on Wednesday, Gale said he denies "each and every allegation" and will not be attending the CDC hearing as he has "no faith" that the process will lead to a "fair and just outcome". Instead, he believes those charged are "being put forward as scapegoats" and described the process as a "witch hunt". 

He added that his "career in professional cricket was destroyed on 3 December 2021" and he has become a persona non grata within the sport. Gale, a former Yorkshire captain, has instead set up a joinery business with his cousin.

^{Andrew Gale and Azeem Raqif (second row, right) worked together at Yorkshire [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]}

Gale also said:

• Azeem Rafiq "never raised these issues" with him directly and the allegations left him "stunned" and "angry".
• It is his understanding that none of the allegations against him were upheld during the initial investigation by law firm Squire Patton Boggs.
• He and other staff members were "in the dark" about how the club were dealing with the allegations.
• He has never met or spoken with new chairman Lord Patel and believes it was a term of the club’s settlement with Rafiq that the 16 staff members were dismissed.
• Those dismissed received "no disciplinary hearing" and had "no right to appeal".
• There have been a number of leaks during the investigation, including the number of individuals dismissed by Yorkshire and the identities of those charged by the ECB. He had been assured that information relating to the charges would not be released in the public domain.
• He has not been interviewed by the ECB but they "clearly spent considerable amounts of time interviewing Azeem".
• There will be an employment tribunal on October 31, 2022 to address the unfair dismissal of the 16 staff members.
• Lord Patel is carrying out a "crusade" against former staff but his "clear out" has been limited to coaching and medical staff, completing ignoring the playing squad and other departments.
• He has been forced to leave his home "on several occasions" due to personal abuse.

Gale said: "I am today informing the ECB that I will not be attending the disciplinary hearing as I have no faith in that process. I have cooperated with the previous investigations. In each case the only evidence relied on has been Azeem’s.

"On two occasions, I have been informed that no allegations were upheld against me, and I had no case to answer. Bearing in mind that I don’t consider the ECB investigation to be anywhere near as thorough as the SPB investigation (particularly based on the fact that I have not been interviewed), in short, I have no faith that a fair and just outcome will be the result if I engage in the process.

"It would appear that the ECB needs to find somebody guilty of something in order to substantiate Yorkshire’s undoubted 'guilty' plea. Lord Patel has embraced the entirely false allegation that YCCC was an institutionally racist organisation. Even if that were true, which is denied, his 'clear out' of staff was only limited to the coaching and medical staff, and utterly ignored the players and the other departments within YCCC. Indeed, the latest ECB investigation has only resulted in a small number of people being charged. I believe that we are being put forward as scapegoats and I simply will not cooperate in that process.

^{Gale said he hasn't had any interactions with new chairman Lord Patel [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

"Lord Patel saw fit to place Azeem on a pedestal and immediately lost face as Azeem’s antisemitic language came into the public domain. Having taken that stance I am sure that Lord Patel feels obliged to carry on with a crusade against the former staff as to acknowledge his own errors would no doubt make his own position as Chairman untenable.

"I would remind the reader that Lord Patel didn’t work at YCCC during any of the time period in question and other than Azeem, has no personal evidence to justify his strategic approach of blaming some of the staff. By championing one member of staff, he has done a disservice to 16 families.

"My career in professional cricket was destroyed on the December 3, 2021. The club’s treatment of me after 20 years is beyond disappointing.

"With a very heavy heart and despite the emotional effects on my wife and my young family, I have mentally moved on. I will always be unhappy with how my career ended but I refuse to have my life defined by unsubstantiated allegations by an embittered former colleague and by a YCCC/ECB witch hunt. Similarly, I refuse to act or be perceived as a perpetual victim despite the fact my treatment from the club was abhorrent.

"On this basis and bearing in mind my income from cricket ceased on December 3, 2021 I do not intend to spend my limited savings in paying my legal team to represent me at the ECB hearing. The ECB governs an industry from which I have been ousted and which has turned its back on me. I will not be attending any hearing or acknowledging the outcome.

"This decision has not been an easy one to make. I know that it makes it very easy for the ECB to side with Azeem and look to impose some form of sanction on me when none is due.

"I hope this statement makes my position clear. I have kept my own counsel for the last seven months despite all the criticism that’s been directed at me and my former colleagues and in the light of the toll this has taken on my family. I have received personal abuse and we have had reason to leave our home on occasions.

"I was unfairly dismissed , and I will allow the employment tribunal to determine what compensation I am entitled to. Even a maximum award will not compensate me for the loss I have suffered and will continue to suffer but I will accept what is awarded to me."

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