Yorkshire out to change cricket after winter spent learning from mistakes

As the ground staff brushed the remaining snow from the outfield at Headingley, Yorkshire’s senior coaching team – interim managing director of cricket, Darren Gough, head coach, Ottis Gibson, and captain, Steve Patterson – sat in the cold press box to reflect on a tumultuous six months and the upcoming season.

Thursday night’s extraordinary general meeting, which overwhelmingly approved the structural changes demanded by the ECB in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, has given the club some financial stability after the ban from hosting international cricket was lifted.

The EGM, said to be held in a business-like atmosphere, approved the appointment of Lord Patel as chair, the appointment of six non-executive directors and removed the Graves Trust’s powers, despite the disdain of the former chair, Robin Smith.

Gough, clad in Kukri-sponsored kit – Yorkshire lost their deal with Nike in the winter – spoke with emotion about the future of the club he first played for in 1989 as a bustling teenager.

“When I took over in January I saw almost fear in the players’ faces and confusion, but I’ll tell you what, three months later what I have seen and witnessed, is a team that work for each other. They have worked their socks off to get into a position where they are excited about the season … and I am immensely proud of them , and I told them so before we went to Dubai [on a pre-season tour.]”

“They understood that not just Yorkshire, but I think cricket in general, needs to change. Sport, society, needs to change. All I can do is put things in place, along with Ottis and the players, we’ve been educated on a daily basis, by people that write articles, by reading, by watching, by communicating.”

“People are going to make