Yorkshire call off EGM that was due to vote on changes to board structure

The meeting had been seen as a key step in the county’s governance overhaul in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis.

Yorkshire have called off an EGM that was due to vote on changes to board structure (Danny Lawson/PA Images). (PA Wire)

A key meeting of Yorkshire members to vote on changes to the structure of the board has been cancelled, the club have said.

The extraordinary general meeting, which had been due to start at 6pm on Wednesday evening, has been seen as a key step in the county’s governance overhaul in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis.

It was also expected that a decision by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on whether to restore international cricket to Headingley this summer would be taken based on the outcome of the EGM.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that it has cancelled the extraordinary general meeting which was to take place on February 2

Yorkshire CCC

In a statement released to the PA news agency, a spokesperson for the county said: “Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that it has cancelled the extraordinary general meeting which was to take place on February 2 at Headingley, after it has come to our attention that the meeting was not properly called.

“The club will arrange for a further EGM to be convened as soon as practicable and preferably before the end of this month.

“At that meeting, the proposed changes to the governance of the club will be discussed and voted upon by members.”

Yorkshire were proposing to members that the club rules be amended, allowing up to eight independent non-executive directors who are not club members to be nominated to join the board, with up to two spaces on the board for club members.

Yorkshire chair Lord Kamlesh Patel has warned the club faces a financial crisis if international cricket does not return to Headingley. (PA Wire)

Members were also being asked to consider a rule change to allow a representative of the ECB onto the board’s nominations committee.

The ECB’s deputy chair, Martin Darlow, was asked about the importance of the EGM in the restoration of international cricket at Headingley when he attended a hearing called into cricket’s racism crisis by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee last week.

“Once we’re through (the EGM), I anticipate the (ECB) board will be making a decision and considering their options soon after that,” Darlow told MPs.

The ECB did not make any immediate comment regarding the cancellation of the meeting.

Yorkshire chair Lord Patel, who has overseen a dramatic period of change at the county since his appointment in November last year, has previously warned the club would face “two major catastrophes” if international cricket did not return.

He told Sky Sports News last month: “One (catastrophe) is hundreds of thousands of fans, boys and girls, Yorkshire people, will suffer tremendously because we miss out and secondly there would be a major financial crisis.

“Many of the existing sponsors hopefully will return to us in the coming weeks – a lot of new sponsors have come and spoken to us, but a lot of it rests on the idea that we get international games back.”