Yorkshire is partnering with a South African club to help it find talent from diverse communities.
The county’s partnership with Momentum Multiply Titans adds to an existing tie-up with Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan and comes at a time when Yorkshire, and the sport in England more widely, are looking at ways to improve representation of culturally diverse communities in the elite game.
The partnership will enable the clubs to offer scholarships for boys and girls to train overseas.
Yorkshire chair Lord Patel said: “We are incredibly excited to extend our pioneering partnership with the Lahore Qalandars and team up with the Momentum Multiply Titans.
“The Momentum Multiply Titans and Lahore Qalandars are leaders in ensuring that cricket is accessible for everyone and both already have phenomenal outreach initiatives in their respective countries.
“We are keen to learn from them how best to develop aspiring talent across Yorkshire and beyond by developing an open and supportive pathway system. This is also an amazing chance for professional players to develop their games in different and challenging conditions.
“By forging global partnerships, Yorkshire County Cricket Club will be able to create more opportunities for young cricketers, as a part of our ongoing commitment to bring down the barriers that have previously disengaged so many from the game of cricket.”
Yorkshire are in the process of overhauling their governance and culture following the heavy criticism the club received over its handling of allegations of racism by former player Azeem Rafiq.
Lord Patel told MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee last week that county representatives were making a presentation to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday on the progress made at Yorkshire since his appointment last November.
County members are due to vote on governance changes at an extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday evening.
ECB deputy chair Martin Darlow said that following the EGM his organisation’s board would look at whether or not to restore Yorkshire’s right to host lucrative international matches at Headingley, which were stripped from them over the handling of the Rafiq case.
