Yorkshire set to appoint Harry Chathli as new chair

The club said Chathli had been nominated to join the board as a non-executive director with a view to him becoming their new, permanent chair.

His appointment would then need to be ratified by members at an extraordinary general meeting on a date to be confirmed, Yorkshire said.

If his appointment is ratified, the corporate finance expert would be the permanent successor to Lord Kamlesh Patel, who stood down at the end of March. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has since served as interim chair.

Patel was appointed in November 2021 at a time when the club’s leadership was facing huge pressure and criticism over its handling of allegations of racism and bullying made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Yorkshire’s announcement described Chathli as a “lifelong cricket fan” and his daughter Kira is a professional player for Surrey, the South East Stars and the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.

Recruitment agency Perrett Laver worked with Yorkshire on the recruitment process.

Lord Patel oversaw governance changes at the club which led to the restoration of international hosting rights for Headingley, while the club admitted four charges in relation to an England and Wales Cricket Board investigation into their handling of the Rafiq case, including a failure to address the systemic use of racist or discriminatory language over a prolonged period.

A sanctions hearing for the club is due to be held next Tuesday.

Chathli, who said he had “jumped at the chance” to work at Yorkshire, accepted the club had been through a difficult period.

“I would like to bring the focus back to cricket and excellence on the pitch, as the club continues to learn from the many issues it has faced,” he said.

“I believe cricket excellence is built on two things: inclusivity and financial stability. YCCC needs to represent the Yorkshire of today and tap into all the extraordinary talent at its disposal and we need to have the proper funding to do this.

“We have a lot of work to do, but I have been impressed by the determination and resilience the club has shown and am ready to work with the board and management to do everything I can to get the club back to where it should be.”

The club said they were still having “positive conversations” around the long-term financial future of the club and would make an announcement “in due course”.

Yorkshire chief executive Stephen Vaughan spelt out the issues facing the club to members at the county’s annual general meeting on March 24, highlighting a £3.5million cash shortfall this year and the need to repay £14.9m to the Graves Trust.