Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson to help ensure smooth transition at Yorkshire CCC as Lord Kamlesh Patel prepares to depart as chair

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson will serve as Yorkshire CCC co-chair and interim chair pending the appointment of a replacement for outgoing chair Lord Kamlesh Patel. Photo by Simon Hofmann/Getty Images for Laureus.

YORKSHIRE are stepping up their search for a new chairperson after Lord Kamlesh Patel’s decision to step down from the role.

The club is working with Perrett Laver, the international executive search firm, “to conduct a fair, thorough and robust recruitment process to identify an appropriate candidate” to replace Patel, who is standing down at the AGM in March.

To help ensure what Yorkshire describe as “a thorough and seamless transition within the club’s leadership”, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has been appointed co-chair to work alongside Patel, who is overseeing the club’s response to the forthcoming Cricket Discipline Commission hearings into racism at the club.

Baroness Thompson, the current board member and non-executive director, will continue to serve as interim chair until a new chairperson is appointed, with interviews expected towards the end of March.

Lord Patel, who is standing down at the AGM in March. Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images.

Lord Patel claimed: “Since arriving at the club I have been driven by a desire to learn from the past and make Yorkshire a benchmark of cohesion and togetherness, ensuring it is an inclusive home for all who play for and support us, now and in the future.

“The process that we have established will ensure we are ideally placed to find a successor who can take on this responsibility and continue to drive our vision forward, building on the progress we have made over the last year.”

Patel added: “I am grateful to the board and, in particular, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson for agreeing to be part of a smooth handover process.

"It has been a pleasure working alongside such an experienced and committed leadership team, and I know that all are committed to our mission to get this club back to where it deserves to be, both on and off the field.”

Grey-Thompson, 53, the former Paralympic athlete, could be a contender for the permanent position, with Yorkshire confirming that “the process is open to both internal and external candidates”. Others to have expressed an interest include Colin Graves, 74, the former Yorkshire chairman, whose family trusts are owed circa £16m by the club.