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Azeem Rafiq was a Yorkshire player between 2008 and 2018, and captained the club during a Twenty20 match.
Following the scandal of racism at Yorkshire, Mark Arthur, chief executive of Yorkshire has resigned.
A report revealed that Azeem Rafiq, a former Yorkshire player, was the victim of racism harassment and bullying. However, the county denied it would discipline anyone. This led to widespread condemnation.
Arthur is the latest high-ranking figure to be forced out of Yorkshire following a scandal in cricket.
He resigned following the resignation of Roger Hutton, chairman, last Friday.
Lord Patel assumed control on Monday. He apologised to Rafiq, and said that he should be praised as a whistleblower for his bravery.
Andrew Gale, a Yorkshire coach, was suspended Tuesday for tweeting in 2010 that he had sent.
Martyn Moxon is their cricket director and has been absent due to a stress-related illness. He will be provided with the support he needs.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has banned Yorkshire from hosting international matches and many sponsors have terminated their agreements with the club.
Lord Patel made the following statement about Arthur on Thursday: "We thank Arthur for his tenure."
"This is a crucial moment for the club. It is ready to move forward under new leadership. This will be critical in driving the necessary change.
"We are aware that there is much more work to do and more difficult decisions to make. We must rebuild the trust among the fans, the cricketing community and the public.
Arthur didn't mention Rafiq in his statement but listed 10 accomplishments from his time at the club.
These include the construction and financing of the South Stand at Headingley and back-to-back County Championship victories. They also include the club's six-year south Asian engagement program.
He said, "I have had eight wonderful years at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. I worked alongside an outstanding group and achieved many highlights."
Rafiq shared his Yorkshire experiences publicly, which led him to close to taking his own lives in September 2020.
Yorkshire published its summary of Rafiq's allegations in September 2021. It was one year later that Rafiq made public his allegations.
The investigation was widely criticised because it found that Rafiq was frequently referred to as a racist in Pakistani language while at the club. It concluded that it was friendly and good-natured banter.
Rafiq report timeline
2 September 2020: After an interview with Wisden, ESPN Cricinfo published an article with Rafiq. In it, he claimed that he was close to suicide because of "institutional racism" at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
3 September 2020: Yorkshire claims it has opened a formal investigation into Rafiq's claims. Chairman Roger Hutton also stated that the club would be conducting a "wider evaluation" of its "policies, and culture."
5 September 2020: Yorkshire requests an independent law firm for an investigation into racism allegations made against Rafiq's club.
13 November 2020: Rafiq stated that he hopes to effect "meaningful changes" after he made his first statement in response to the inquiry.
15 December 2020: Rafiq files an action against Yorkshire alleging direct discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of race.
2 February 2021: Yorkshire threatens to ban anyone who makes threats against Rafiq, his family or legal team. ESPN Cricinfo has shown the messages that were sent to Rafiq by the club.
17 June 2021: Rafiq and Yorkshire fail to reach an agreement in a case before the employment tribunal. His racism accusations remain under investigation.
16 August 2021: Yorkshire receives findings from an independent investigation into racism allegations. Two days later, England and Wales Cricket Board asks for a copy.
19 August 2021: Yorkshire has yet to release the results of the investigation and offers Rafiq "profound apologies"
Rafiq accuses Yorkshire, calling him "inappropriate behavior" and downplaying racism.
8 September 2021: Yorkshire MPs ask for the publication of the findings "immediately".
Yorkshire releases the findings from the report on 10 September 2021. It states that Rafiq was the victim of racial harassment, bullying, and that seven of the 43 allegations made against him were confirmed by an independent panel.
Hutton stated that the report did not contain sufficient evidence to conclude Yorkshire County Cricket Club was institutionally racist.
Yorkshire published a summary of the panel report and its recommendations. However, the panel stated that the full report was not possible to release for legal reasons due to "relations to privacy law or defamation".
8 October 2021: Yorkshire misses the deadline to submit the complete report to Rafiq, his legal team. BBC Sport has learned that an employment judge ordered Yorkshire to release the entire report by Friday 8 October.
13 October 2021: Rafiq receives a heavily edited version. The ECB states that it is still awaiting its full report.
28 October 2021 Yorkshire: Yorkshire claims that it conducted its own internal investigation following the report's findings and concluded that there was no misconduct or action by its employees, players, or executives that would warrant disciplinary action.
2 November 2021: Hutton is summoned by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to answer questions regarding Yorkshire's handling a Rafiq-related report.
After a leaked report containing details about the investigation into Rafiq's treatment, MP Knight, the chair of the DCMS select Committee, has called on the board at Yorkshire County Cricket Club for its resignation.
ESPN published a story saying that the report concluded that Rafiq had been referred to as "banter" when he used a racially offensive word towards him.
Knight's comments come after Javid, the health secretary, calls for "heads-to-roll" at Yorkshire. He said that if the ECB didn't take action "it isn’t fit for purpose". In a tweet, Knight stated that Rafiq's term was "not banter."
The ECB announced that it would conduct a full investigation into the matter.
3 November 2021: Rafiq, together with other senior Yorkshire officials, is due to testify at the DCMS hearing on 16 November.
Many sponsors, including the primary sponsor Emerald Publishing, have ended their partnership with Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Gary Ballance, the current Yorkshire batter, releases a long statement in which he regrets using a racial slur to refer to Rafiq, his former team-mate.
4 November 2021: Yorkshire is banned from hosting international matches by the ECB board.
Nike, the kit supplier, has ended a four year deal. This was announced in March 2021.
Michael Vaughan, former captain of England, claims he was included in the report but "totally rejects any allegation about racism".
5 November 2021: Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton quits following the club's response. He also apologises to Rafiq "unreservedly". A further two board members resigned, and another will be leaving in the near future. Lord Kamlesh Patel, Bradford, is named director and chair.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, a former Yorkshire player, claims he was made racist comments by Vaughan towards a group Asian players.
8 November 2021: Lord Patel apologizes to Rafiq for his incontinence since his appointment and states that the club has resolved the employment tribunal with the former player.
9th November 2021: Yorkshire suspends coach Andrew Gale in a tweet he sent out 2010.
Chris Philp, minister of sport and culture, says that the UK government is willing to "step in," if Yorkshire or the ECB fail to take "real action" after the Azeem Rafiq racist scandal.
Tabassum Bhatti, an ex-Yorkshire academy footballer, tells BBC Sport about the alleged racism that he experienced as a 14 year-old from his team-mates at club.
11 November 2021: Joe Root, Test captain, says that the racism scandal at his county has "fractured and torn our game and lives apart".
Rafiq responded by tweeting that he was "extremely hurt" that Root claimed he couldn't recall seeing racism in Yorkshire.
