Civil war has broken out at Yorkshire after Chair Lord Patel fired back at his predecessor, accusing him of trying to ‘destroy’ the club.
Former Chair Robin Smith has been blasted by Patel over his part in the administrative mixup that meant changes to the club’s rules were not properly lodged with the Financial Conduct Authority.
The constitutional changes that were voted for by members at the 2020 and 2021 AGMs were not registered with the FCA until this week and therefore have not been ratified.
This includes the change that would allow non members, or members for less than two years standing to be appointed to the board.
Lord Patel himself falls under this category and at an EGM on Wednesday was believed to be looking to get members to vote on allowing up to eight non members to be allowed onto the board in order to help secure the return of international cricket to Headingley this summer.
That EGM had to be cancelled and in an interview with the Yorkshire Post Smith called into question Lord Patel’s position as Chair, and suggested he could be liable for the sackings of 14 staff in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq affair.
Smith said: “Only from Monday of this week has it been possible to appoint to the board a non-member or a member with less than two years’ membership like Patel.
“He had not been a member for two years and therefore his appointment is invalid.
“As he was not validly appointed, he could be personally liable for the decisions he has made. Why should the club or its members pay for decisions taken by someone who shouldn’t even be in office?”
Lord Patel though has not taken this obvious move of aggression lying down and hit back at Smith’s attempts to undermine him.
Patel said: “To eradicate all forms of discrimination from cricket as a whole, we need strong, resolute leadership and holistic action.
“It is plain that, when I joined the Club in November, it had a wealth of legacy problems inherited from previous leadership, of which former Chairman Robin Smith was a part.
“I made a conscious decision that we would focus on a positive future for Yorkshire and remediate the inherited issues. For me and others at the Club, this was part of a positive programme for change as there is no benefit to Yorkshire CCC in arguing about the past.
“There is emerging, however, a clear agenda to undermine the Club, driven by opposition to our progress and a desire to maintain an outdated status quo. It is disheartening and pernicious in equal manner.
“We have become aware of a small group of individuals who have indicated a belief that, by looking to make progress and change for the better, ‘the lamb that is Yorkshire Cricket Club is to be sacrificed on the altar of Black Lives Matter’. This is unacceptable in every possible way.
“This group is actively seeking to delay and derail the essential reforms and consequently the return of international cricket by litigating process issues, without presenting any positive alternative.
“Robin Smith states he wishes to see Test cricket returned to Headingley, but in my opinion he is actively working with the sole intention to destabilise and even destroy this Club rather than see it change.”
