Yorkshire handed points deduction and £400,000 fine by Cricket Discipline Commission

Yorkshire have been docked 48 points in the County Championship and four points in the T20 Blast, both of which relate to the 2023 campaign

Elizabeth Botcherby | 28/07/2023 at 14:23

The Cricket Discipline Commission has confirmed the sanctions which will be imposed on Yorkshire as a result of Azeem Rafiq's allegations of historical discrimination at Headingley.

The club will receive a £400,000 fine, £300,000 of which will be suspended for two years, as well as a 48-point deduction in the County Championship and a four-point deduction in the T20 Blast, both of which relate to the ongoing 2023 campaign.

With the 48-point deduction, Yorkshire will drop from sixth to eighth in Division Two, 23 points behind seventh-placed Derbyshire at the time of writing (July 28).

With the T20 Blast campaign already completed, the four-point deduction has little bearing on that competition, simply moving Yorkshire down to eighth position in the North Group.

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^{Yorkshire have been docked 48 points in the County Championship [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Earlier this year, Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four charges, including the mishandling of Rafiq's case, the mass deletion of relevant documents and a failure to deal with racist language being used at the club over the course of several years.

At a hearing in June, the ECB proposed a £500,000 fine (£350,000 suspended) and a Championship points penalty of 48-72 points as well as a four to six-point deduction in both the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup.

The CDC sanctions were made by an independent panel consisting of CDC chair Tim O'Gorman, Professor Seema Patel and Mark Milliken-Smith KC.

In a statement, Yorkshire's board accepted the sanctions imposed by the CDC, but did voice their disappointment that the current players and staff were being punished for past actions. They are now looking forward to building a "brighter future" at the club.

"Following representations by the board at last month's hearing, the CDC and ECB have today acknowledged the vast amount of work done by YCCC to overcome the cultural issues that existed within the club, which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged. We are accountable for these issues, and we accepted four amended charges as part of a continued commitment to ensure we are able to move forward," the statement said.

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^{The club has docked four points in the now-completed T20 Blast [Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images]}

"We are disappointed to receive the points deductions which affects players and staff at the club, who were not responsible for the situation. They have worked tirelessly on and off the field to rebuild Yorkshire into an inclusive and welcoming club that reflects the communities it serves. Greater clarity over our situation will allow us all now to look ahead.

"There remains much to do, but we have made significant investments to put in place best practice processes and procedures, as well as driving equity, diversity and inclusion through a new framework and taking important steps to improve the matchday experience to encourage greater inclusivity and tackle discrimination. This is in addition to the real progress we have seen on our performance pathway, ensuring young cricketers from all backgrounds can take part regardless of their economic circumstances.

"We look forward to continued dialogue with the ECB to ensure the financial penalty does not hinder our ongoing commitment to build on the strong foundations that have been laid. We remain focused on efforts to secure YCCC's sustainability, ensuring the stability required to create a brighter future for all associated with Yorkshire Cricket."

Head coach, Ottis Gibson, added: "At least next year we know where we stand. We have four games left in the Championship this season, and that's 96 points that we can play for. We'll try and win the next four games. That's all we're trying to do - win every game we play."