NICK HOWSON: The former England allrounder, who served at Headingley for 17 years, says the culture around the club needs attention if they are to rebound in 2023
Yorkshire have been urged to focus on creating the right environment to ensure they respond positively to relegation from LV= Insurance County Championship Division One.
Defeat to Gloucestershire and Warwickshire's dramatic win over Hampshire in the final round saw the Headingley club drop into the second tier for the first time since 2012.
It followed a winless run of 13 matches, including six defeats in their last eight.
Dismal performances in the Championship came as the fall-out from the racism scandal, triggered by Azeem Rafiq, dominated the agenda.
Yorkshire and several individuals - including former coach Andrew Gale - have been charged by the ECB, while chair Lord Patel has been at the centre of a power struggle while attempting to push through reforms which brought international cricket back to the club.
Though Yorkshire reached T20 Blast Finals Day, head coach Ottis Gibson said the team showed "naivety" in the first-class arena. "I always knew it was going to be a challenge, and the challenge wasn’t always going to be cricket," he added. "It was also about uniting the dressing room, uniting the club from top to bottom with what had gone on and stuff like that."
White played more than 500 matches for Yorkshire across the formats between 1990 and 2007 (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Craig White - currently on the Lancashire Cricket coaching team, working primarily with North West Thunder - spent virtually his entire domestic career at Yorkshire and was part of the team relegated in 2002 after two wins in 16 games.
"It's a disappointment, you feel like you have let everyone down, particularly at the club like Yorkshire with all the prestige," he told The Cricketer of the 32-time outright County Championship winners, who he captained to promotion in 2005.
"When you get relegated you feel like you've let everyone down, not least yourself.
"They'll be gutted but they've got to try and bounce back and come straight back up next year."
While this season will form the basis for the 2023 campaign, it isn't yet clear what form the Championship will take beyond that, in light of the recommendations from Andrew Strauss' high-performance review.
Craig White, speaking on behalf of William Hill
The upheaval has already begun. Shan Masood arrives from Derbyshire as the new club captain while Ben Mike has signed from Leicestershire. Former skipper Steven Patterson has meanwhile retired from cricket following his departure.
"I think the environment on and off the field needs a little bit of work," White, who played 30 Tests and 51 one-day internationals for England, added.
"If they sign well over the winter, some good senior players, there is some talent coming through who will have to learn their trade in Division Two.
"A good environment within the club and the team and you need good players, it is as simple as that.
"You won't get to play at the main grounds, but you've got to dust yourself down, work hard and try and turn things around."
Craig White was speaking at the launch of William Hill's newly transformed, state-of-the-art shop on Vicar Lane, Leeds. This exciting, new digital shop also delivers innovations in player safety.
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