London, March 14 (IANS) Darren Gough, the former Yorkshire and England fast bowler, has announced that he is stepping down as managing director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Taking on the role in December 2021 amidst the aftermath of the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis, Gough assumed the helm during a tumultuous period for the club.

Gough's leadership was instrumental in stabilising Yorkshire's cricketing operations, overseeing the appointment of Ottis Gibson as head coach and implementing significant changes to the playing squad as part of the club's rebuilding efforts. Gough was England's bowling consultant back in 2020. After the departure of Gough, Colin Graves will return as Yorkshire chairman.

Reflecting on his tenure, Gough expressed pride in the progress made under his stewardship, emphasising the complete overhaul of the men's squad and the improvements across various support areas. Despite the challenges, Gough's vision and determination laid the foundation for Yorkshire's resurgence, positioning both the men's team and the Northern Diamonds for future success.

"It's been an absolute honour to work for my boyhood club over the last two seasons," Gough said to reporters on Thursday. "Having stepped in at a very challenging time, we've worked hard to steady the ship and develop our cricket department to ensure we can return to the top tier of English cricket.

"In my time here, we have achieved a great deal that I am proud of. The men's squad has been totally rebuilt with significant improvements behind the scenes across all support areas. This has put both the men's team and the Northern Diamonds in a much better place to be able to compete going forward.

"The performance pathway is thriving and continues to lead the way nationally, and there is a real energy around what is happening with the Women's game and the next few years will be transformational, I'm sure.

"Following conversations with the club, I have decided now is the right time to step away from my role and give someone else an opportunity to take our playing squads forward. I'd like to thank all of our players, staff, members and fans for their considerable support over the last few seasons and wish them all the very best for the coming year.

"I will always be a Yorkshire Cricket supporter and look forward to returning to watch our teams in the coming years."

Acknowledging Gough's invaluable contributions, Stephen Vaughan, Yorkshire's chief executive officer, praised his role in stabilizing the club and driving forward the playing squads. Vaughan highlighted Gough's deep-rooted passion for Yorkshire cricket, which permeated every aspect of his work and left an indelible mark on the orgastabilisingnization.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to work with Darren since taking on this role. The contribution he has made to stabilise the club and drive our playing squads forward has been critical and, I know that, as a Yorkshireman who lives and breathes this club, he has been so proud to carry out the role.

"The work that Darren has done over the last two seasons has built some fantastic foundations and we are very grateful for his time, commitment and the manner in which he has set about his role."