ECB deputy chairman Martin Darlow set to step down in May
ECB vice-chairman Martin Darlow will resign in May as the former detective pays the price for the governing body’s handling of the Yorkshire racism crisis.
- Martin Darlow took over as Vice President of the ECB last September
- Now he is ready to resign amid the fallout from the Yorkshire race trial.
- The ECB has been seriously criticized for its handling of the scandal.
ECB Vice-Chairman Martin Darlow will step down from the Board in May before the end of his term as the fallout from the Yorkshire race trial continues.
The former detective, who took up the role last September, was tasked with managing the ECB’s response to the Yorkshire crisis following Azeem Rafiq’s seismic appearance before a parliamentary select committee in November 2021.
The 18 blue chip counties were informed of Darlow’s early departure by ECB President Richard Thompson earlier today, and several sources told Sportsmail that he paid the price for the body’s botched handling of the crisis. rector.
Yorkshire Chairman Lord Patel has claimed he was ordered by the ECB to sack 16 staff in a move that has cost the county £1.5m in compensation payments.
That allegation has been strenuously denied by several ECB sources, but they also face questions over their decision to charge seven former Yorkshire players for using racist language against Rafiq.
Martin Darlow (left) will step down as ECB Vice President in May
Darlow controversially invited Azeem Rafiq to Lords as a guest of honor just days after the former Yorkshire players received disciplinary charges
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was among those charged last summer.
Darlow was serving as acting ECB president when disciplinary charges were issued against Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan last summer before Thompson arrived as Surrey president in September.
In a brief reign as caretaker chairman, Darlow sparked controversy for inviting Rafiq as a guest of honor to the ECB’s box at Lord’s for the first day of England’s Test match against New Zealand last summer, just days after former players of Yorkshire were charged.
Another former acting chairman, Barry O’Brien, will also leave the board this summer due to ill health.