Following a protracted hunt for a replacement for Lord
Kamlesh Patel, who resigned in March, Harry Chathli has been officially
announced as Yorkshire’s new chair.
Chathli, 58, who joined Yorkshire’s board as a
non-executive director in June, will succeed Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as
the club’s interim head following an extraordinary general meeting. He will
hold office for three years.
“It’s an honour and privilege to be appointed
chair of one of the most iconic clubs,” Chathli said. “Cricket is at
an inflexion point with unprecedented growth reaching new audiences who are
attracted by the variety of formats. Yorkshire has played its part in this
growth within the men’s cricket and has also been at the forefront of development
of women’s cricket in the country. I am also proud of the fact we are
championing disability and LGBTQ+ cricket.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank
Tanni for her excellent stewardship of the club through a very challenging
period this year.”
In the wake of the racism crisis that tore through the
club after Azeem Rafiq’s allegations regarding his treatment while playing, it
is hoped that Chathli’s hiring can put an end to a trying time for Yorkshire.
Yorkshire admitted admission to four revised
allegations of bringing the sport into disrepute earlier this year, and as a
result of their improper treatment of Rafiq’s case, they were fined £400,000
and given points reductions in the County Championship and other domestic
tournaments.
At the height of the crisis, which included the
suspension of Headingley’s hosting rights for important matches and the loss of
a number of key sponsors like Emerald, Yorkshire Tea, and Nike, Lord Patel,
Chathli’s predecessor as full-time chair, was named to the position in November
2021.
Stephen Vaughan, Yorkshire’s CEO, said: “We are
delighted to welcome Harry to the Board and as Chair at Yorkshire County
Cricket Club. “Harry brings strong business acumen and experience, and I
am sure this positive impact that will benefit Yorkshire County Cricket Club
and the Yorkshire Family as a whole.
“The Board looks forward to working with Harry
and collectively we are committed to delivering long-term success that YCCC
members deserve.”