Richard Pyrah has returned to Yorkshire as head coach of the senior ladies’s staff, nearly 18 months after being discovered responsible of constructing racist feedback about an Asian lady.
Pyrah was fined £2,500 and given a two-week teaching ban by the Cricket Self-discipline Fee after utilizing discriminatory language whereas speaking about former team-mate Azeem Rafiq’s sister, Amna, in his presence in 2014 and/or 2018.
The 41-year-old was amongst 16 workers members sacked by Yorkshire in December 2021 amid the fallout from Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism on the membership.
The Headingley outfit agreed a settlement with Pyrah the next yr after accepting his axing was “procedurally unfair”.
Pyrah will start his new function at Yorkshire in September with the county turning into a Tier 2 ladies’s staff in 2025 as a part of a revamped construction after which attaining Tier 1 standing from 2026.
The previous all-rounder performed for Yorkshire for over 10 years after which had jobs as males’s bowling coach and head coach of the inaugural Yorkshire ladies’s Tremendous League T20 staff after retiring in 2015.
Azeem Rafiq made allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire and gave harrowing testimony in entrance of MPs in late 2021
Pyrah informed Yorkshire’s official web site: “It is an unimaginable honour for me to be given the chance to guide Yorkshire’s ladies facet and it is the proudest second of my profession.
“This is an exciting time to be involved in women’s cricket, following ECB’s restructure of the women’s professional game.
“To affix Yorkshire, one of many largest cricket golf equipment on the earth, is a dream for any coach. It’s why I’m so excited by this chance. I’ll give my full dedication to this staff.”
Graves: Pyrah ‘stood out after thorough and robust process’
Yorkshire chair Colin Graves said: “We’re delighted Richard has agreed to turn out to be the top coach of our ladies’s staff and we’re very happy to welcome him again to Yorkshire.
“After a thorough and robust process, Richard stood out amongst an incredible shortlist of candidates.
Yorkshire chair Colin Graves says Pyrah was appointed after a ‘thorough and strong course of’
“Through the whole process it was clear Richard is the right person to lead Yorkshire into the club’s new chapter and take our women’s professional team to the highest level.”
Graves had beforehand described incidents of racism at Yorkshire “as banter” however has since apologised, saying he “profoundly regrets” his alternative of phrases.
The 76-year-old’s preliminary spell as chair coated a part of the interval the place Yorkshire have been fined £400,000 for failing to deal with the systemic use of racist or discriminatory language.
Sky Sports activities Information has contacted Yorkshire for additional remark.
Winfield-Hill plans to stay with Yorkshire
England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill says she plans to signal for house county Yorkshire regardless of the membership not being awarded Tier 1 standing till 2026, though may search a mortgage transfer subsequent yr in an effort to play top-level cricket.
The 33-year-old: “My intention is to stick around and commit to Yorkshire. I haven’t officially signed a contract but it is pretty much what I am looking to do.
Lauren Winfield-Hill is hoping to signal a cope with Yorkshire for the 2025 season
“What that looks like with loans or opportunities to play Tier 1 cricket in another place, we will explore. We are working through it now. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.
“I’m fairly loyal and the individuals and the place are fairly vital to me and I’ve at all times been fairly eager to complete the place I began. It is the place my family and friends get to come back and watch me and people issues imply lots.
“As soon as Yorkshire [being in Tier 2] was reduced to a year, that made the decision a little bit easier. Two years and it might have been slightly different.
“I do not actually desire a yr of not taking part in top-flight cricket however what that appears like I’m uncertain proper now.
“We are trying to get the best of both worlds. Being around for Yorkshire so we are ready to compete in Tier 1 but equally from an individual point of view it is important I am playing at the highest level I can.”
