Sports
Jun 23, 2026
ECB to review Yorkshire's £1.75m payment to CEO's company over Hundred sale
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reviewing a £1.75m payment from Yorkshire to a company…
The ECB's Review of Yorkshire's Payment
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to review a payment of £1.75m from Yorkshire to a company controlled by their chief executive, Sanjay Patel, for consultancy work relating to the Hundred sale.
Details of the Payment
Yorkshire's 2025 accounts show that Patel's company SMP73 Ltd received a commission of £1.75m last year for "corporate broker services in connection with the sale of Northern Superchargers Limited". Patel was one of the key architects of the Hundred in his previous role at the ECB and was among a small group of executives who received bonuses worth a combined £2.1m in 2022.
Financial Impact of the Hundred Sale
Yorkshire received about £60m from the £100m sale of Northern Superchargers to the Indian media conglomerate the Sun Group last year, as the only county to sell all of their Hundred franchise. The club banked about £40m from selling their 51% stake in the franchise and another £20m from their share of the 49% stake sold by the ECB, with the rest distributed to non-Hundred counties and the wider game.
Implications for Yorkshire Cricket
The ECB's review comes amid a challenging period for Yorkshire cricket, which has faced financial difficulties, disciplinary problems, and a racism scandal in recent years. The club was fined £400,000 and handed a 48-point deduction in the County Championship three years ago after being found guilty of racism and discrimination.
Future Outlook for Sanjay Patel and Yorkshire
Before joining Yorkshire, Patel was a senior executive at the ECB, where he spent nine years. As the ECB's chief commercial officer, Patel was one of the architects of the Hundred, and served as the new competition's first managing director for almost five years from 2019. The ECB's review of the payment could have implications for Patel's role at Yorkshire and the club's governance more broadly.
#ECB
#Yorkshire Cricket
#Hundred Sale
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