Andrew Gale wins unfair dismissal claim over Yorkshire exit

Yorkshire’s former head coach Andrew Gale has won an unfair dismissal claim against the club after he was sacked in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq scandal.

An employment judge ruled that Gale and five other former members of Yorkshire’s staff had a “well founded” case in a decision published this week and said the matter will now move on to what remedies can be agreed or imposed.

Gale, 38, was one of 16 members of staff sacked in the wake of the controversy, which engulfed Yorkshire following accusations by the bowler Rafiq that rocked English cricket.

Yorkshire last year accepted Rafiq had been subjected to racial harassment and bullying but initially elected against taking any action against their employees, leading to widespread criticism.

This week’s decision by the employment judge Joanna Wade also involves the bowling coach Rich Pyrah, the academy lead Richard Damms, the second-team coach Ian Dews, and the strength and conditioning coaches Ian Fisher and Peter Sim.

The judge said in a brief judgment: “The claimants’ complaints of unfair dismissal are well founded … Remedy and any other complaints proceed to hearing unless otherwise resolved.”

There were no further details in the decision, which was made on 23 May after a private hearing but published only on Tuesday.

Gale played for Yorkshire as a batsman for more than a decade before becoming first-team coach in 2016. He was suspended in November after a tweet emerged that he posted in 2010.

The widespread condemnation of Yorkshire over their treatment of Rafiq had huge repercussions for the club last year, including a flood of departures of staff and directors as well as sponsors pulling out and their Headingley ground in Leeds being briefly stripped of its