Following Friday’s announcement, Darren Gough emerged surprise as the candidate for director of cricket at Yorkshire. SportmailThe exclusive story of how the club’s coaches were fired.
Gough, 51 years old, is an accomplished media personality, particularly as a cricket analyst for talkSPORT and a sports presenter on talkSPORT. He has also maintained ambitions to coach after his retirement in 2008.
The former England fast bowler, who served as Headingley’s playing coach for 15 years, is now understood to be the type of figurehead the Yorkshire hierarchy needs.
Darren Gough was nominated to be the director of cricket for Yorkshire
Gough (centre), has had a long and successful career in media, including as a talkSPORT sports analyst and presenter.
He has a great relationship with Azeem Raffiq (the whistleblower, whose claims of institutional racism resulted in dramatic changes at Yorkshire). Both are from Barnsley, and Gough provided Rafiq with support in the wake of his revelations.
Gough’s unique ability to instill, both as a uniting force and as one Yorkshire’s most highly successful internationals seems to make him an ideal match despite being a novice and lacking experience.
His arrival was the first of a major rebuilding effort of the cricket department.
Martyn Moxon, director of cricket, and Andrew Gale (first-team coach) were among the most prominent victims of the 16 sackings. This included all the senior coaches and six members of the physio- and medical teams. Yorkshire faces legal action after the “significant changes” that Lord Patel considered necessary to regain trust.
Lord Patel views him as the type of person the club needs to be able to look forward.
Gough maintains a great relationship with Azeem Rahiq (whistleblower of allegations about institutional racism at the club),
He said that while the decision was difficult but in the best interest of the club, it was made.
He said, “Without important changes in how we run our business, we can’t move forward from the past and create a progressive culture that is inclusive and progressive.” Yorkshire should be a welcoming place that welcomes all people, regardless of their backgrounds. We must rebuild and promote positive values in order to do so. To be a trust-worthy club, we will learn from our mistakes.
“We still have much work to be done, but this is a positive step towards a better future.”
Despite the fact that none of the squad’s first teams have been sanctioned, one source claimed the shock of mass departures caused an emotional crisis among players.
Martyn Moxon, Andrew Gale and Andrew Gale left Yorkshire after the scandal of racism
Moxon, a long-serving director for cricket, was forced to retire due to stress.
Some are understood to feel so upset about developments that they were considering their own futures on Friday — a large number are in Australia, either representing England, England Lions or playing grade cricket.
Sources claim it is not a coincidence that all those who signed the letter addressed to Rafiq’s executive team, in which they expressed their dismay over unfair criticisms and challenged Rafiq for failing to uphold the club’s “mission to bring down” was included in the blood-letting.
Rafiq was also criticised in the letter for not apologizing after an investigation revealed seven of his allegations of bullying and racism during his time at the club.
Gale, head coach and founder of Gale Football Club was removed last month following an offensive tweet.
Gough, a former England fast bowler has maintained his ambitions as a coach after he retired in 2008.
Yorkshire could now face unfair dismissal orwrongful firing claims after 16 people lost their jobs.
Yorkshire are saddled with huge debts which touched £19million at the start of the year and can ill afford further financial hits.
In response to Rafiq’s allegations, the ECB has suspended them as international hosts. This was done following a massive exodus from sponsors. The combination of the two represent more than half of Yorkshire’s projected £13m income for the year.
Gough is not the only name in the mix for this new setup. Ottis Gibson, ex-England Bowling Coach and Leicestershire head coach Paul Nixon are also known to be involved.
Paul Nixon, Leicestershire’s Head Coach (left), and Ottis Gibbons (right), are also included in this frame