Yorkshire’s ENTIRE first-team consider asking for right to speak to other clubs… with some unhappy by treatment of coaches and medics and others fearful reputations could be tarnished by association due to Azeem Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism
- Yorkshire’s first-team squad are contemplating speaking to other clubs
- Some players are unhappy with the treatment of coaches and medics
- Others are fearful of their reputation being tarred by association with the club
- Managing director Darren Gough has held multiple video meetings with players
Yorkshire’s players are not expected to start cricket-specific training until mid- January following the mass sacking of the club’s coaching staff.
And The Mail On Sunday understands the entire first-team squad are contemplating putting their names to correspondence asking for the right to speak to other clubs regardless of current contract status.
A healthy proportion of players are understood to be happy to stay, but sticking as a group would avoid leaving individuals who want to explore other opportunities from feeling isolated.
The entire first-team squad at Yorkshire are contemplating speaking to other clubs
Some are understood to be extremely upset by the treatment of coaches and medics they were close to while others are fearful of their reputations being tarred by association after Yorkshire’s former chairman, Roger Hutton, told a Select Committee last month that institutional racism existed at Headingley.
Recent events, which saw Darren Gough appointed as managing director of cricket, have left Yorkshire with a skeleton staff and those players who remain in the country on limited fitness programmes.
While Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow and Dom Bess are involved in the Ashes and Harry Brook, Jordan Thompson and Tom Kohler-Cadmore are overseas playing in Twenty20 leagues, their UK-based team-mates have been restricted to yoga and fitness sessions with outside specialists and told not to expect net practice to begin until the third week of January.
Yorkshire’s former chair Roger Hutton said institutional racism existed at Headingley
Darren Gough has held video meetings with Yorkshire’s players as managing director of cricket
Gough has held multiple video meetings with Yorkshire’s players during his first 10 days in the job. An open call for candidates to apply for the vacant head coach’s job went out on Friday but that process will take weeks and rival first-class counties picked up bats and balls again in November.
It is not only the lack of coaches that is delaying net sessions being arranged as part of the ongoing off-season programme. They cannot take place at professional level without physios and doctors being present.
Meanwhile, some of the 16 who lost their jobs or had their contracts cancelled are pursuing legal action against the club. Former first-team coach Andrew Gale is making an employment tribunal claim.
Ex first-team coach Andrew Gale (above) is making an employment tribunal claim