Yorkshire settle with Gale, Pyrah over dismissals
Cricket
Yorkshire agreed compensation with their former head coach Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Pyrah.
LONDON (AFP) - Yorkshire agreed compensation with their former head coach Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah on Thursday after the English county side accepted their sackings were "procedurally unfair".
Gale and Pyrah were dismissed when new Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel took charge in the aftermath of Azeem Rafiq s claims of institutional racism at the club.
Gale was suspended last year, as part of an investigation into a tweet he sent in 2010, before he was sacked in December.
An unfair dismissal tribunal had been due to take place this month but a compensation package has been agreed instead.
It is the latest costly episode for Yorkshire, who have already paid out six-figure sums to Rafiq and former chief executive Mark Arthur.
A number of the 14 other sacked staff have also settled in recent months.
"On the 3rd December 2021 the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Limited took the decision to dismiss its coaching and medical staff. The club has acknowledged that its dismissals of that group of employees was procedurally unfair," a Yorkshire statement said.
"After meaningful dialogue between the club and the legal advisers acting on behalf of Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah the parties can confirm that acceptable terms of settlement have been reached. The financial terms of the settlements are confidential and no further public statement will be made about the terms."
Rafiq went public with his experiences in September 2020 and said the "institutional racism" he encountered at Yorkshire left him on the verge of suicide.
He claimed Gale s attitude towards the death of his son was that he was "making it more than what it is"
Gale spent his entire playing career at Yorkshire and was captain and coach during Rafiq s time at the club.
Both Gale and Pyrah were charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board following Rafiq s testimony and are still awaiting a hearing with the Cricket Discipline Commission.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, I deny each and every allegation that Azeem raised with YCCC and then via the ECB suggesting that I have used racist language and bullied Azeem. I was originally stunned but I am now angry that he has raised such allegations against me," Gale said earlier this year.
"I will always be unhappy with how my career ended but I refuse to have my life defined by unsubstantiated allegations by an embittered former colleague and by a YCCC/ECB witch-hunt."
