Chathli appointed new club chair at Yorkshire

Harry Chathli has been appointed the new chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) following a members' vote at their recent extraordinary general meeting, the club said on Wednesday.

Chathli, who was nominated as a non-executive director in June, succeeds interim chair Tanni Grey-Thompson, a former athlete who won 11 Paralympic gold medals. She will, however, continue to serve on the board as a non-executive director.

Grey-Thompson had initially succeeded Kamlesh Patel, who navigated Yorkshire through the racism scandal involving Azeem Rafiq that engulfed the club in 2021. Patel stepped down in March.

"Cricket is at an inflexion point with unprecedented growth reaching new audiences who are attracted by the variety of formats," Chathli said in a statement.

"YCCC has played its part in this growth within the men's cricket and has also been at the forefront of development of women's cricket in the country. I am also proud of the fact we are championing disability and LGBTQ+ cricket."

Stephen Vaughan, CEO of YCCC, said Chathli brings "strong business acumen and experience".

Chathli has been described as an international capital markets expert and has board experience having been chairman and non-executive director at several public and private companies. He is also the founder of two communications agencies.

"We are delighted to welcome Harry to the Board and as Chair," Vaughan said.

"The Board looks forward to working with Harry and collectively we are committed to delivering long-term success that YCCC members deserve."