Yahoo Finance Exclusive: Yorkshire ask sacked staff to help fight ECB racism charge
Yorkshire have written to staff they sacked in the wake of their racism scandal asking for help responding to the charges facing the crisis-hit county.
Telegraph Sport has been told those with whom the club are embroiled in a toxic legal battle over December’s mass cull have been left reeling by the plea for assistance from their former employer.
A source close to one of those to have been approached said: “It’s madness, isn’t it, really?”
Requests for help were issued less than a week after charges were finally issued over English cricket’s worst racism scandal, with Yorkshire and “a number of individuals” facing action over accusations made against them by Azeem Rafiq.
It was followed by a statement from the county that read: “The club will need the cooperation of those in position during this time in order to fully consider and respond to the matters raised.”
Telegraph Sport has been told some of those contacted would be keen to tell their side of the story but not until the conclusion of their unfair dismissal cases against the county.
There were concerns that could leave them open to accusations they were refusing to co-operate with a case that would be dealt with by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).
But those were secondary to fears Yorkshire could use their acquiescence against them in employment tribunal proceedings that may not conclude until after the CDC hearings planned for September or October.
Yorkshire’s plea also came two weeks after it emerged they had admitted unfair dismissal complaints lodged by former head coach Andrew Gale, bowling coach Richard Pyrah, strength-and-conditioning coaches Ian Fisher and Peter Sim, second XI coach Ian Dews and academy director Richard Damms were “well founded”.
The crisis-hit county agreed their former coaches’ legal action against them at Leeds Employment Tribunal had merit in a consent judgment issued on May 23, the same day Telegraph Sport revealed sacked staff had been made “derisory” offers to settle their disputes with their former employer.
Yorkshire’s admission meant them almost certainly having to pay tens of thousands in compensation to the six former members of their coaching team who brought the claim.
However, the legal battle was poised to continue over other complaints that could cost the club millions, with the consent order stating: “Remedy and any other complaints proceed to hearing unless otherwise resolved.”
Telegraph Sport was told last month that Yorkshire had asked the six complainants to sign deals starting at as little as £2,000, despite two other sacked staff members having settled for a combined sum of between £500,000 and £750,000.
Yorkshire have been approached for comment.
