ECB reinstates Yorkshire's status to host International fixtures

In a major development, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club have regained the right to host international fixtures as England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), on Friday, reinstated their status on condition that the club members will not block the implementation of reforms introduced in the wake of the racism scandal last year and that the influence of the family trust by former chairman Colin Graves, is nullified.

Last year, Yorkshire County club found itself at the heart of a raging controversy following sensation revelations by former cricketer Azeem Rafiq regarding the institutional racism faced by Muslim and black cricketers.

In an emotional testimony in the House of Commons back in November, Rafiq made a whole host of revelations, including the organization of the usage of racial slur. 

"I welcome this decision and thank the Board of the ECB for supporting the return of international matches at Headingley once again," Lord Patel said in a statement. "We have worked night and day to bring about tangible change at Yorkshire, and the removal of the sanctions has validated and reignited our drive for positive progress."

Rafiq said that he supported the ECB's decision, saying that under Lord Patel, Yorkshire have "shown a real willingness to change and have already come a long way".

"This is the correct decision by the ECB," he tweeted. "His [Lord Patel's] leadership has earned the club another chance but the reforms must continue and we must see real change.

In a statement, the ECB acknowledged "the hard work and good progress made by the club", after reviewing a written submission from Yorkshire officials at a formal meeting last week, and an independent assessment from the Good Governance Institute & Howard Kennedy LLP.

Overall, the ECB assessed that Yorkshire was able to "show a demonstrable commitment to building a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion"; provide "evidence that it is adopting a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination"; "commit to identifying and tackling historic cases of discrimination"; and "ensure that Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a welcoming environment for everyone".

"The Board welcomed the hard work and actions taken by Yorkshire County Cricket Club towards putting the Club on a new path," Barry O'Brien, the ECB's interim chair, said. "Alongside the progress already made, we considered many factors in reaching our decision. Amongst them, the impact on fans who have bought tickets in good faith and the young people who will benefit from Yorkshire's improved outreach and pathway provisions. Finally, the Board was mindful that the return of international cricket will support continued change and progress at the Club.

"I very much hope that the traumatic events that have taken place at Yorkshire over the past several months and years will act as a catalyst for increasing the pace of change throughout the game."