Former Yorkshire players and coaches including Gary Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale sanctioned by CDC

May 26, 2023

Six former Yorkshire players and coaches - including Gary Ballance and Tim Bresnan - have been handed fines and suspensions by The Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) for "alleged use of racist and/or discriminatory language".

Yorkshire County Cricket Club will find out what sanctions they will face on June 27. Yorkshire have admitted to four charges including a "failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language over a prolonged period".

Ballance, Bresnan, John Blain, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah were sanctioned.

As well as playing suspensions and fines, all were also formally recommended to undertake an appropriate racism/discrimination education course identified by the ECB, at their own expense.

All six individuals can appeal the sanctions.

CDC sanctions in full:

  • Gary Ballance - a six-match playing suspension (to take effect if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a player) and a £3,000 fine.
  • Tim Bresnan - a three-match playing suspension (to take effect if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a player) and a £4,000 fine.
  • Andrew Gale - a four-week suspension from coaching cricket (to take effect if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a coach) and a £6,000 fine.
  • Richard Pyrah - a two-week suspension from coaching cricket (to take effect if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket as a coach) and a £2,500 fine
  • Matthew Hoggard - a £4,000 fine.
  • John Blain - a £2,500 fine.

Earlier in May, The ECB recommended fines totalling £37,000 for the players charged in the Yorkshire racism scandal.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was the only person charged to appear at the Cricket Discipline Commission in London in March, with Vaughan's charge of making a racist comment to Azeem Rafiq and three other Yorkshire players before a match in 2009 ruled 'not proved'.

The CDC found that Rafiq and team-mate Adil Rashid - who gave evidence - were 'not lying' but mistaken in claiming they heard Vaughan call them 'you lot.'

Ballance had already admitted the charge brought against him by the ECB. The six-match playing suspension appears to have little consequence, given Ballance announced his retirement from playing last month, although at 33-year-old could theoretically return to cricket.

The five further ex-Yorkshire cricketers - Bresnan, Blain, Gale, Hoggard and Pyrah - all had at least one charge of using racist and/or discriminatory language 'proved'.

Rafiq previously released a statement saying: "Cricket needs to understand the extent of its problems and address them. Hopefully, the structures of the game can now be rebuilt and institutionalised racism ended for good."

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