Yorkshire: Andrew Gale & Richard Pyrah agree compensation after 'unfair' sackings

Gale played for Yorkshire between 2004 and 2016 before becoming head coach

Yorkshire have agreed compensation with former coach Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah following their sackings last year.

The pair were among 16 members of staff sacked in December in the fallout from the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.

Gale, 38, spent his entire playing career at Yorkshire and was captain and coach during Rafiq's time at the club.

The compensation package comes after Gale and Pyrah won a claim for unfair dismissal in June.

Former all-rounder Pyrah, 39, played for Yorkshire between 2004 and 2015 before joining the coaching staff.

A Yorkshire statement read: "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.

"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 told MPs last November that English cricket was "institutionally" racist.

He went public with his experiences in September 2020 and said the "institutional racism" he encountered while at Yorkshire left him close to taking his own life.

He said Yorkshire became "toxic" after Gary Ballance took over as captain, shortly after Gale replaced previous coach Jason Gillespie, and said Gale's attitude towards the death of Rafiq's son was that Rafiq was "making it more than what it is", and that "hardly anyone" asked after his and his wife's wellbeing.

In June, having won his unfair dismissal claim, Gale said he would not engage with the England and Wales Cricket Board's disciplinary process - for which hearings are expected to begin in the coming months.

He denied all of the allegations made by Rafiq.

Gale was suspended - as part of an investigation into a tweet he sent in 2010 - before he was sacked on 3 December.