Colin Graves‘ potential reinstatement as Yorkshire’s chair may provoke skepticism, but realistically, the club finds itself with limited alternatives.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club grapples with substantial debt despite hosting a men’s Ashes Test last season. The club owes over £15m to Graves through his family trust, placing the debt holder in a commanding position by standard business terms. The ECB feels unable to intervene, as doing so would set a precedent for the other 17 first-class counties.

Efforts to find a purchaser capable of repaying the debt and injecting fresh capital into the club proved futile, leaving Graves as the practical option, a stance seemingly acknowledged by the ECB.

Additionally, Graves holds a genuine concern for Yorkshire cricket. His proposed deputy, Phillip Hodson, boasts a commendable track record as the former chair of the MCC Foundation and the Yorkshire CCC Charitable Trust, institutions known for their exceptional work with underprivileged youngsters of diverse backgrounds.

While Graves’ dismissal of the racist incidents directed at Azeem Rafiq during his tenure as club chair drew condemnation from the ECB and Sporting Equals, Graves intends to extend an apology for these remarks.

Under Graves’ tenure as ECB chair, the implementation of a corporate governance code, mandated by Sport England, aimed to foster greater diversity on sporting boards—an initiative later adopted by the counties.

Reports surfaced of interest from Mike Ashley, the controversial ex-owner of Newcastle United, eyeing a takeover of Yorkshire. His plan involved acquiring Headingley, intending to lease the historic ground back to the club for substantial profit. However, this proposal didn’t align with the desires of Yorkshire supporters, reminiscent of Newcastle fans’ sentiments towards Ashley’s ownership.

Moreover, the ECB reportedly thwarted a bid from IPL team owners.

Graves’ involvement has been instrumental in preventing Yorkshire’s bankruptcy, leveraging his business acumen from founding Costcutter, the convenience store chain. His unwavering commitment is evidenced by the substantial financial backing he has provided and is willing to continue investing, albeit at a risk to his own finances.

Yorkshire holds immense significance in English cricket and requires a period of stability, seemingly attainable primarily through Graves’ leadership.

The return of Graves might stir controversy, particularly regarding his accountability in the Azeem Rafiq incidents. However, his prior actions, such as The Hundred’s creation and past decisions at the ECB, while unsettling for some, are unrelated to his potential reinstatement.

The prevailing reality dictates acknowledgment and progression. The alternative was a perilous outcome for Yorkshire, which is undesirable for all involved.

The ECB unveiled its formal response, which includes a series of commitments to address the issues raised in the ICEC report:

1. Investing £25 million annually above the revenue generated from the women’s game into expanding women’s and girls’ cricket across all levels.
2. Eliminating financial barriers in the talent pathway by 2025.
3. Developing action plans to tackle specific hurdles faced by state schools and black children.
4. Establishing an independent Cricket Regulator separate from the ECB, tasked with prosecuting disciplinary cases, by the 2024 season. Annual assurance checks will ensure the Regulator’s independence.
5. Enhancing EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) standards for counties, setting more ambitious targets for gender and ethnic diversity.
6. Assessing counties’ performance against minimum EDI standards and having the authority to relocate matches from venues if non-compliance is detected.

Gould reinforced the ECB’s unwavering commitment to making cricket the most inclusive sport in England and Wales, urging collective efforts to achieve this goal. The response signifies a comprehensive set of actions aimed at intensifying and accelerating the work to make cricket a game accessible to all.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) will issue a separate response regarding the ICEC recommendation to replace Eton v Harrow and Oxford v Cambridge matches at Lord’s with state school’s finals days.

England Women’s Captain, Heather Knight, welcomed the announcement and its implications for the women’s game. She emphasized the significance of creating a sustainable and appealing product that resonates with girls and young women, fostering their interest in cricket.

The positive strides made by the ECB toward gender parity demonstrate cricket’s commitment to equality and growth. As the sport continues to evolve, these progressive measures will undoubtedly contribute to a flourishing and inclusive future for women’s cricket.

Azeem Rafiq, a bowler of Pakistani origin, came forward with allegations of racism and bullying relating to his time at the English county club in September 2020.

The recommendations for sanctions were presented to an independent panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) in London on Tuesday.

In February, Yorkshire admitted to four charges related to their mishandling of Rafiq’s case.

Last month, six former Yorkshire players were fined by the CDC after being found guilty of using racist language, while former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared of such allegations.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has proposed suspending £350,000 of the fine for three years, with the remaining £150,000 payable in installments between January and June 2024.

Yorkshire stated last week that they were engaged in positive discussions about the club’s long-term financial future.

Jane Mulcahy, the ECB lawyer, emphasized that the recommendations took Yorkshire’s financial situation into account, and the ECB had no intention of jeopardizing the club’s existence, stating that it would be “wholly unproductive” to do so.

The ECB deemed the admissions made by Yorkshire to be of a serious nature, necessitating sporting sanctions. They have proposed a deduction of 48 to 72 points in the 2023 County Championship and deductions in white-ball competitions.

Lawyer Daniel Stilitz presented Yorkshire’s response to the recommendations, acknowledging the “deeply regrettable chapter” in the club’s history and reiterating their apologies to Rafiq.

Stilitz highlighted the club’s already suffered consequences, including the withdrawal of 11 sponsors, and urged that these factors be considered when determining the sanctions. He asserted that the punishments should be suspended and emphasized that they should not penalize those not directly responsible.

Graves, who served as chairman from 2012 to 2015, stated that no racism allegations were brought to his attention during his tenure. The ECB expressed disappointment with his remarks and issued a statement emphasizing the need to address and eradicate the use of racist slurs in normalized language.

The statement from the ECB reads, “We must never again tolerate accounts like Azeem Rafiq’s, where racist slurs are casually used. These events, along with numerous issues faced by Azeem and others at Yorkshire, have been substantiated multiple times, including during proceedings overseen by the Cricket Discipline Committee (CDC).”

The ECB vehemently opposes the notion that such incidents should be dismissed as “banter” and calls for an immediate end to any debate suggesting otherwise.

Former spinner Azeem Rafiq initially made allegations of historical racism at Headingley in August 2020, subsequently labeling English cricket as “institutionally racist.” Last month, the CDC imposed fines and bans on six former Yorkshire players found to have used racist language. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared of using racist language towards Rafiq based on the panel’s assessment of the evidence.

The sanctions resulting from Yorkshire’s charges will be deliberated in a hearing scheduled for June 27. Possible penalties include an unlimited fine, points deductions, and suspension from ECB competitions.

During an interview with Sky Sports News, Graves, who chaired the ECB from 2015 to 2020, referred to the racism claims at Yorkshire, stating, “There have been instances where regrettable words were said. I don’t believe it was done with a racist intention. I understand that people don’t like the word banter, but there might have been banter around it.”

Graves acknowledged that the world and society have evolved, rendering such behavior unacceptable. However, he denied any awareness of specific allegations during his time as chairman.

Despite initially seeking to resume his position as Yorkshire chairman, Graves withdrew from consideration last week. Lord Patel stepped down from the role in March, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is currently serving as the interim chair.

New Zealanders protested after McCullum’s participation in a betting company ad. In the face of that protest, the ad was immediately stopped in the country. After this incident, the England and Wales Cricket Board also became active. There are fears of sanctions.

However, McCullum was cleared of the charges after an investigation into the incident. The board said that what McCullum had done did not violate any of the board’s rules. So no action is being taken against him.

McCallum signed a contract with Cyprus-registered company 22Bet in November last year. Six months earlier, he took over as the coach of England’s Test team.

The incident began early last month. McCullum participated in a 22-bet ad made for the IPL. McCallum has called for online betting to be registered with a betting company, even though online betting is illegal under New Zealand law. The ad was advertised on YouTube by 22Bet, a betting company.

New Zealand’s Media Staff reported that many people went to McCullum’s Facebook page to express their anger after being upset with the ad. Google has removed the video after it made a series of nasty comments about the former Kiwi captain, according to New Zealand’s one news.

In the ad, McCullum is seen driving a sports car in the desert. At one point, he referred to himself as the brand ambassador of 22Bet. McCullum, however, did not respond to the netizens’ nasty comments.

In the last series against India, the team was 16. This time the team is 14 members. Regular captain Tamim Iqbal has returned to the team after recovering from an injury. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has also returned. Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Shariful Islam, Enamul Haque, and Nasum Ahmed have been dropped from the ODI squad.

Bangladesh Squad: Tamim Iqbal (captain), Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadat Hossain, Taijul Islam, Towhid Hridoy.