Good Governance Institute and Howard Kennedy appointed to conduct independent governance review of Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Yorkshire County Cricket Club today announces the appointment of the Good Governance Institute (GGI), working in partnership with Howard Kennedy LLP, to conduct a specialist independent review of governance at the club, and to make recommendations for subsequent governance development.

The review will consider and independently evaluate the Club’s governance against:

• established good governance practice

• the application of the principles for good governance

• relevant sector-specific Codes of Governance, specifically Sport England’s ‘A Code for Sports Governance’ and to include the ECB’s governance framework

• outcome impact for good governance, summarised as: Ethical culture; Adding value; Robust control; and Legitimacy.

In addition to gathering all relevant documentation, the review will involve obtaining written submissions and holding a series of interviews and focus groups with individuals from Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the ECB and the wider cricket and sporting community. The full terms of reference for the review may be seen here.

Following this review, the GGI will offer recommendations to the board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club for change, development and improvement needed to hold leadership to account and enable robust, transparent and fair processes and decision making in the best interests of the players, staff, and the Club.

The report will be shared with the Board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB on 24 January 2022. This will include recommendations to the YCCC Board for change and assurance against Tier 3 of Sport England’s ‘A Code for Sports Governance’. Prior to the AGM on 22 March 2022, GGI will produce a Governance Improvement Plan to accompany the report outlining an action plan for implementing recommendations.

The GGI works with organisations to ensure they are run by skilled and ethical leaders and helps them to build systems that are guided by ethics, evidence and equality to enable decision making that serves the public good.

The key findings, recommendations and actions will also be communicated publicly.

Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said:

“The independent Governance review will be essential in helping us shape how we move forward as a Club following the recent challenges we have faced. It is clear that many have been failed by our leadership and how we operate as a club. We must look closely at our processes and procedures, and I am determined that we go above and beyond gold standard both on paper and in practice.

“The Good Governance Institute believes that good governance benefits society as a whole and enables organisations to play their part in building a sustainable, better future for all. That is a vision I share, and I look forward to seeing its report.

“Only through taking bold steps to understand and address the fundamental building blocks of how we operate can we build a solid platform from which to change our culture, and create a welcoming and inclusive Club for all in Yorkshire.”