Cricket - Ashes 2019 - Fifth Test - England v Australia - Kia Oval, London, Britain - September 15, 2019 England's Joe Root and ECB chairman Colin Graves during the end of series presentation Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/ File photo
(Reuters) - Yorkshire's board has approved a loan offer from a consortium headed by Colin Graves, which is set to see the County Championship Division Two cricket club's former chairman make a controversial return.
Last year, Yorkshire were fined 400,000 pounds ($510,560) and handed a 48-point deduction in the County Championship after an investigation into racism allegations by ex-Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq, who said in 2021 he had been a victim of institutional racism at the club.
Graves was chairman of the cricket club between 2012-2015, part of the period during which Yorkshire was accused of failing to address and take adequate action against racist and discriminatory language.
British media reported that the 75-year-old's consortium have offered an immediate loan of 1 million pounds, which will be followed by further investment of 4 million pounds.
"The Board of Yorkshire County Cricket Club has tonight agreed to recommend the loan agreement from Mr Colin Graves," Yorkshire said in a statement on Wednesday. "The club will be sending a notice to members tomorrow ahead of an EGM (extraordinary general meeting) which will outline the details of the offer as well as the resolutions and rule changes that are required to be ratified by members at the EGM."
Graves has denied knowledge of racist behaviour during his tenure at Yorkshire. He also suggested that some of the incidents were "banter", which was criticised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Reports of Graves' takeover being accepted were met with criticism this week, with Rafiq urging sponsors to stop supporting Yorkshire and saying that the club had "other options" in their bid to secure financing.
In a statement to British media this month, Yorkshire said it had met with "over 350 interested parties to work through the validity of each and every genuine offer to refinance the club".
($1 = 0.7835 pounds)
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
