Lord Patel 'unapologetic' in decisions to root out racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club

The chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club has said he is "unapologetic" in the decisions he has made to root out racism over the past year.

Lord Patel took over the club last November, after Roger Hutton resigned, following the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal that rocked the club.

The new chairman promised to make major changes to fight institutional racism, including sacking 16 members of staff in one swoop.

Almost one year later, Lord Patel has said that "the work is far from over, and the journey to date has not always been straightforward", but that the club has made "significant progress in turning the tide".

It comes as the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) parliamentary select committee announced they would hold another evidence session to follow up on developments since its hearing with Rafiq at the end of last year.

The evidence session will take place on Tuesday 13 December, ahead of the expected publication in the new year of the report by The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket.

Julian Knight MP, chair of the DCMS Committee, said: "The deep-rooted scourge of racism in cricket that was laid bare in our session with Azeem Rafiq will take determined and sustained action to address.

"A year on the Committee will be exploring just what progress has been made in cleaning up the game, both at Yorkshire and in the wider cricketing community.

"With stories in the media from the last 12 months suggesting that racism and discrimination still pervades the sport, we would welcome hearing ahead of our session from any player, supporter or administrator about their experiences."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.