Yorkshire appoint talkSPORT host Darren Gough as new director of cricket following exodus of staff in wake of Azeem Rafiq racism row

Darren Gough has been named Yorkshire's new director of cricket.

The 51-year-old former England star has been a talkSPORT presenter since retiring in 2008.

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A Yorkshireman born and bred, Gough spent 15 years on the playing staff at Headingley across two spells.

He is viewed as the ideal figurehead to lead a new era for the club in light of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.

His arrival comes after the majority of the club's staff were let go.

Yorkshire's long-serving director of cricket Martyn Moxon and head coach Andrew Gale became the latest high-profile departures last week.

Their departures follow those of club president Roger Hutton, who stepped down on November 5, and chief executive Mark Arthur, who resigned a week later following widespread condemnation of Yorkshire over its handling of a racism investigation and the treatment of former player Rafiq.

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Both Moxon and Gale were heavily criticised at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hearing at Westminster while Rafiq repeated his call for them to step down from their roles at the club.

Darren Gough said in statement: “Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been part of my life since my earliest days in cricket when I made my debut in 1989, and I spent 15 happy years at the Club. Like many, I have followed how the Club handled the recent racism allegations with sadness and anger.

“I want to play my part in rebuilding cricket in Yorkshire and I am looking forward to working with the exceptionally talented group of players here. I am also aware of my wider responsibility to listen to everyone and ensure that every person who is associated with this club feels welcome, instilling values we want associated with the White Rose: honesty, straight talking, hard work, integrity and excellence.

“I share Lord Patel’s vision for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and the collective determination to face the issues head on with a series of positive actions. Change will not happen overnight, but I am certain that we can make Headingley roar again.”

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Professor The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, said: “We are delighted to welcome Darren back to the Club, and are very happy that he has taken the job.

“As a former Captain of the Club, Darren’s impact on the Yorkshire and England teams was considerable as a player. His infectious enthusiasm and will to win will be so important as we aim to be the best on and off the pitch.

“As we start on this journey with Darren, we want to engage everyone at the Club and involve as many people as possible in shaping our direction. We have a considerable job ahead of us, but we are ready to embrace the opportunity together and build a brighter future for Yorkshire County Cricket Club”.

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Gough was made an MBE for services to cricket and charity last year.

He played 58 Test matches for England between 1994 and 2003. He took 229 wickets at an average of 28.39.

His white-ball career went through to 2006 and saw him take 235 one-day international wickets at 26.42.

He will be on the Drivetime show on talkSPORT on Monday to discuss his new role at Yorkshire. Tune in from 4pm to listen.