ECB lifts suspension on Yorkshire hosting international matches

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) lifted an international match ban on Yorkshire County Cricket Club on Friday, in the wake of a racism scandal involving former player Azeem Rafiq.

Yorkshire were barred from hosting any international games after Rafiq, a player of Pakistani descent, alleged last year that he was a victim of institutional racism at the club.

ECB lifts suspension on Yorkshire County Cricket Club hosting internationals subject to key requirements being met.

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— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) February 11, 2022

The explosive allegations led to a number of resignations at Yorkshire CCC, with Kamlesh Patel taking over as chairman from Roger Hutton.

"The ECB lifted the suspension on Yorkshire hosting international and major cricket matches at Headingley. The decision follows a rigorous review of progress made against several criteria set out in November 2021 to tackle racism at the club," the governing body said in a statement.

The ECB noted that Yorkshire must still "resolve issues relating to rules changes and decisions at the club which have been subject to procedural flaws", along with "amendments to club rules relating to the appointment and operation of the Board".

Headingley is due to host a test against New Zealand in June as well as a one-day international against South Africa in July.

Rafiq welcomed the decision, saying the club had made great progress under the leadership of Patel.

"This is the correct decision by the ECB -- under Lord Patel the club has shown a real willingness to change & have already come a long way. His leadership has earned the club another chance but the reforms must continue and we must see real change," the 30-year-old wrote on Twitter.

Patel added in a statement: "We have worked night and day to bring about tangible change at Yorkshire, and the removal of the sanctions has validated and reignited our drive for positive progress."