Yorkshire have a “actually robust” shortlist of candidates to succeed Lord Patel as chair and hope to nominate somebody “shortly”, says interim chair Baroness Tanni Gray-Thompson.
Patel stepped down following the membership’s annual common assembly on Friday, with Gray-Thompson taking up till a alternative is discovered.
Former chair Colin Graves has mentioned he’s taken with returning.
“We have now to make sure there’s an open, sturdy course of,” mentioned Gray-Thompson.
“That course of has kicked in – we’re interviewing, the candidates are scored in opposition to a variety of standards and we have to do it transparently.”
When requested about the potential for Graves returning, Gray-Thompson advised BBC Radio Leeds it was “not applicable” to speak about “particular person names throughout the candidate pool”.
Gray-Thompson, who gained 11 Paralympic gold medals, added: “We have a extremely robust shortlist. We have a variety of candidates we’re speaking to this week and subsequent.
“We’re transferring at tempo as a result of that is the suitable factor for the membership and we’re hoping to make an announcement shortly.”
Patel, who was not at Friday’s AGM for private causes, took over in November 2021 after Roger Hutton resigned over the membership’s response to the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.
Yorkshire are ready to seek out out what sanctions they are going to be given by a Cricket Self-discipline Fee (CDC) panel following a listening to into allegations of racism on the membership.
Yorkshire have pleaded responsible to 4 amended expenses from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), whereas former England batter Gary Ballance additionally admitted legal responsibility in response to his cost.
The CDC are aiming to ship their written judgements within the instances of six different former Yorkshire gamers who had been charged, together with ex-England captain Michael Vaughan, by the top of March – although sanctions will observe at a later date.
The potential sanctions in opposition to a membership embrace limitless advantageous, factors deductions and suspension from ECB competitions.
“I actually do not know what that is going to say,” mentioned Gray-Thompson.
“It might be nice to listen to sooner quite than later, that is after we can take the subsequent steps.”
Graves, who was Yorkshire chair from 2012 to 2015, could be a controversial appointment.
Yorkshire have admitted failing to handle the “systemic use of racist or discriminatory language over a protracted interval” by workers or gamers on the membership, together with throughout Rafiq’s two spells with the county, from 2008-2014 and 2016-2018.
The county owe £14.9m to the Graves Belief, a serious creditor of the membership. Graves sits unbiased of the belief, which is overseen by skilled trustees.
Yorkshire modified their guidelines final 12 months to take away the necessity for written approval from the trustees of the Graves Belief to nominate or take away board members after the ECB made it a key requirement to be able to reinstate Headingley’s right to host England matches.
Graves, who was additionally ECB chair from 2015 to 2020, backed the reforms.
Yorkshire chief government Stephen Vaughan additionally couldn’t focus on particular person candidates however advised the Press Affiliation the board are “very open to folks that may do effectively for the membership”.
The county misplaced a major variety of sponsors over their dealing with of the Rafiq scandal, whereas additionally they needed to agree compensation packages with sacked workers who gained claims for unfair dismissal, together with former head coach Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah.
The membership additionally opened an unbiased whistleblowing hotline for victims of discrimination, which Vaughan mentioned could be saved in place “for the foreseeable future” however would ultimately be closed due to its “vital” price.
Gray-Thompson mentioned the membership has been reported to be “in a harder monetary place than we’re”.
She added: “It is actually necessary to carry it again to what it says within the accounts, which is that we’re OK.”
Gray-Thompson, who was initially appointed co-chair till Patel stepped down, mentioned she was tempted to use for the everlasting position and “would like to do it in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later”.
Nonetheless, she mentioned her “skill-set” and her place because the “board member who has most expertise of working in sport” meant she felt the “smartest thing” to do was be a part of the recruitment course of as a substitute.
