Yorkshire removed club honor roll to promote 'inclusion'

Honor Roll removed from Headingley. Photo: SWPIX.COM/VAUGHN RIDLEY. a proud story as it seeks to reflect «greater participation and understanding of the past».

At the top of the ladder, players ascend to return to the dressing room, is the «Roll of Honor», in which illustrious titles have been won from the men's first team club, as well as pictures of the title-winning teams.

One of the images of the team celebrating their 2012 promotion from the Second Division shows Azeem Rafiq pouring beer in a can on teammate Andrew Gale. Also in the picture were Joe Root, the former England captain, and Gary Ballance, who retired from the game earlier this year after leaving the club. .jpg» />Andrew Gale from Yorkshire is drenched in beer by Joe Ruth and Azim Rafik. Photo: SWPIX.COM/KEIRAN GALVIN

There was a large display in the adjacent hallway showing the history of the club from its founding at the Adelphi Hotel in Sheffield in 1863.

It is clear that they were taken down shortly before season and replaced with a white wall.

Yorkshire has been ravaged by the racism scandal that began with Rafik's allegations nearly three years ago. This led to the dismissal of the entire coaching staff, and the club is awaiting confirmation of the size of the points deduction and the fine that it faces.

The action taken by Yorkshire raised some eyebrows at the England camp on arrival at Headingley this week, as the club-filmed demonstration had been there for the past decade.

Asked by Telegraph Sport why they were withdrawn, a Yorkshire spokesman said: «We continue to look for ways to improve on the work we have done in many areas and intend to make further investments to reflect our goal of greater participation and understanding of the past. One such project will include the inevitable complete rebranding of the East Stand, including a revamp of the graphics around the building.”

The East Stand now houses a mural dedicated to the Yorkshire players who represented their country, not just the men from England. For example, foreign players Sachin Tendulkar and Darren Lehmann are featured, England players such as Katherine Skiver-Brant (nee Brant) and handicapped England member Liam Thomas.

It also includes photos of former Matthew internationals. Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, who were found guilty of using racist language by the ECB Cricket Disciplinary Commission at a hearing they refused to attend earlier this year.

Other great English figures include Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Vaughan and Joe Ruth. .

Stephen Vaughan, chief executive, said on Friday that the club does not want to “forget what happened to it in the past, but learn from it and move on, rather than continue to solve this problem. all the time.»

Vaughn added that he hoped the imminent investment in Yorkshire would mark «a new chapter for Yorkshire», adding that «it could be a springboard for progressive and New York cricket where we let's be unabashedly modern and progressive.

“This doesn't mean we forget the amazing history we have here, because it's amazing. But what we can't do is keep clinging to it.»