Ex-Yorkshire players handed fines and bans

Six ex-Yorkshire players found to have used racist language at the county have been sanctioned with fines and bans by the Cricket Discipline Commission.

The charges stemmed from claims made by former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq.

All six have been fined sums of between £2,500-£6,000.

Ex-England pair Ballance and Bresnan have been handed playing suspensions, while former captain and coach Gale and all-rounder Richard Pyrah have been given coaching bans.

However, any suspensions will only have to be served if those sanctioned return to ECB-regulated cricket.

Ballance retired from playing in April, Bresnan in January 2022, Gale in 2016, Pyrah in 2015, Hoggard in 2013 and Scotland’s Blain’s last top-level match was in 2010.

Full sanctions

• Gary Ballance – Six-match playing suspension [if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket] and a £3,000 fine
• John Blain – £2,500 fine
• Tim Bresnan – Three-match playing suspension [if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket] and a £4,000 fine
• Andrew Gale – Four-week coaching suspension [if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket] and a £6,000 fine
• Matthew Hoggard – £4,000 fine
• Richard Pyrah – Two-week coaching suspension [if he returns to ECB-regulated cricket] and a £2,500 fine

The 33-year-old Ballance, who played 23 Tests for England, admitted the charge against him, but the remaining five did not appear before the independent CDC panel in March after withdrawing from the process.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared “on the balance of probabilities” by the panel of using racist language towards Rafiq.

Sanctions against Yorkshire, who admitted four amended charges, will be discussed at a hearing in late June.

All six players have also been recommended to take a racism or discrimination education course at their own expense.

They can appeal against the CDC’s decisions before 9 June.