Reports have suggested that Graves, 75, is in exclusive dialogue with Yorkshire over a return, despite previously presiding over part of a period in which the club admitted an England and Wales Cricket Board charge of failing to address the systemic use of racist or discriminatory language. Yorkshire were fined £400,000 and deducted 48 County Championship points by the independent Cricket Discipline Commission in July.

On Monday morning Sporting Equals, a charity which promotes ethnic diversity across the sport and physical activity sector, published an open letter sent to the ECB, sports minister Stuart Andrew, and county cricket clubs and their sponsors, in which they expressed dismay at a prospective return for Graves and called for further reforms in the game.

"Cricket has been making an effort to combat racism over the past few years," read the letter.

"Since Azeem Rafiq publicly exposed the deep systemic problems the ECB, amongst others, have taken action to address these issues.

"The ICEC Report is a potential watershed moment for cricket and sport in general. For these initiatives we applaud them and the wider game. We wait to see if they will make a positive impact.

"However, the potential reinstatement of Colin Graves as Chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club would undermine the progress made.

"His reinstatement would send a message that emboldens those who perpetuate the myth that racism is simply banter, that it is enough to pay lip service to policies and procedures.

"It would make a mockery of the suffering of ethnically diverse players across the country. It would be a rejection of the ICEC Report's thorough investigation and well-considered conclusions."

Sky Sports News has contacted the ECB and Yorkshire for comment.

Graves' first stint as chairman overlapped with Azeem Rafiq's spell at the club.

Writing in the Observer, Rafiq also criticised Graves' prospective reappointment, saying it "exposes a failing game" and that "nothing has changed".

"Sponsors found their moral compass before, and they need to find it again, because any organisation supporting this is complicit in it," wrote Rafiq.

"There is still time for them to act, to leave now and stop Yorkshire stepping back in time and undoing what progress they have made in the past three years."

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports News last June, Graves said he never witnessed racism at Yorkshire and that racism allegations were never brought to him during his time as chairman.

"When I was chairman of the club, when some of these allegations were made, I can tell you now, nothing was brought up within the club," Graves said.

"And I ran the club on an open-door basis as chairman, players could come and see me if they had issues and they did so on a regular basis. I met the players twice a year, took them out for dinner, met them around the ground, knew a lot of the families.

"We had management meetings in the club every Monday we had board meetings every six weeks. Nothing was ever brought up on the table about any racism allegations whatsoever."

Asked specifically if he had ever witnessed racism during his time at Yorkshire, Graves replied: "None whatsoever, from anybody at any level. Nothing."

Sporting Equals' open letter in full

"RE: The potential reinstatement of Colin Graves at Yorkshire County Cricket Club

"An open letter to Stuart Andrew, The ECB, professional County Cricket Clubs and their sponsors,

"Cricket has been making an effort to combat racism over the past few years. Since Azeem Rafiq publicly exposed the deep systemic problems the ECB, amongst others, have taken action to address these issues.

"The ICEC Report is a potential watershed moment for cricket and sport in general. For these initiatives we applaud them and the wider game. We wait to see if they will make a positive impact.

"However, the potential reinstatement of Colin Graves as Chairman of Yorkshire County Cricket Club would undermine the progress made. His reinstatement would send a message that emboldens those who perpetuate the myth that racism is simply banter, that it is enough to pay lip service to policies and procedures.

"It would make a mockery of the suffering of ethnically diverse players across the country.

"It would be a rejection of the ICEC Report's thorough investigation and well considered conclusions. This progress must not be stunted.

"We therefore call on the ECB, all professional County Cricket Clubs and all sponsors, backed by Stuart Andrew as Sports Minister, to ensure the following measures are taken ahead of the 2024 summer season:

1. An Independent Fit and Proper Persons Test established for ownership of county cricket clubs
2. A thorough, fair, independent and resilient disqualification process to rid the game of bad actors
3. Mandatory training for all County Cricket Club leadership in inclusive behaviours and cultures
4. Mandatory establishment and publication of equality, diversity and inclusion policies, reported on annually by each County Cricket Club
5. Participation by all professional County Cricket Clubs in the Sporting Equals Race Representation Index, measuring ethnic diversity in senior leadership and talent pathways

"Only by taking these steps can cricket truly become a game for everyone.

"Signed, Sporting Equals, Ama Agbeze MBE (member of the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel), Ayaz Bhuta MBE (member of British Asians for Sporting Excellence), Kevin Hylton (Special Advisor for the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel), Manisha Tailor MBE (member of British Asians for Sporting Excellence)."