Former chairman Graves apologises for racism at Yorkshire

Former Yorkshire County Cricket Club chairman Colin Graves has apologised on Thursday to anybody who suffered racism on the membership and for his earlier dismissal of racist incidents as banter.

Graves was chairman of the membership between 2012-2015, a interval through which Yorkshire was accused of failing to deal with racist and discriminatory language.

“I apologise personally and unreservedly to anyone who experienced any form of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” Graves stated in a press release.

“I profoundly regret some of the language I used when asked about the events that took place when I was chairman, at a time when I was no longer at the club.”

The apology comes after Yorkshire’s board authorised a mortgage supply on Wednesday from a consortium headed by Graves, which is about to see the previous chairman return to the County Championship Division Two cricket membership.

Yorkshire was fined 400,000 kilos ($510,640) in 2023 and given a 48-point deduction within the County Championship after an investigation into racism allegations by ex-Yorkshire participant Azeem Rafiq.

“If I am confirmed as chairman, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work that has been carried out over the last two years will continue,” Graves added.