Yorkshire director Darren Gough steps down following cricket board's review

In a major development for Yorkshire Cricket, the managing director of the club, Darren Gough, has stepped down from his position. Notably, the former England pacer took on the role in an interim capacity in December 2021.

The decision comes in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis, which saw many of the club’s staff and management leave. It is also worth noting that Gough oversaw the appointment of Ottis Gibson, the current head coach. Speaking of the same, Gough came forward to talk of how much of an honour it was to work for Yorkshire, having stepped in a challenging time, and how the club has steadied their ship in a very challenging time for the club.

"It's been an absolute honour to work for my boyhood club over the last two seasons, having stepped in at a very challenging time, we've worked hard to steady the ship and develop our cricket department to ensure we can return to the top tier of English cricket,” Gough was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

"In my time here, we have achieved a great deal that I am proud of. The men's squad has been totally rebuilt with significant improvements behind the scenes across all support areas. This has put both the men's team and the Northern Diamonds in a much better place to be able to compete going forward,” he added.

The performance pathway is thriving: Gough

Furthermore, Darren Gough also opined that he thinks that women’s cricket will thrive in the future and announced that he thought that it was the right time for him to step down from his role. Gough’s departure will come with the return of Colin Graves as Yorkshire chair, and the club will now have a secure financial footing as well.

Also Read: Azeem Rafiq yet to receive apology over Yorkshire racism incident

"The performance pathway is thriving and continues to lead the way nationally, and there is a real energy around what is happening with the Women's game and the next few years will be transformational I'm sure,” the 53-year-old continued.

"Following conversations with the club, I have decided now is the right time to step away from my role and give someone else an opportunity to take our playing squads forward. I'd like to thank all of our players, staff, members and fans for their considerable support over the last few seasons and wish them all the very best for the coming year,” Gough concluded.