Yorkshire Cleared After Regulator Reviews £1.75m Consultancy Payment

Yorkshire will face no charges following a Cricket Regulator investigation into a £1.75m consultancy payment connected to the sale of the Northern Superchargers. The Guardian reports that the payment was made to SMP73 Ltd, a company controlled by Yorkshire chief executive Sanjay Patel, for work related to the Hundred franchise transaction.

The issue entered formal scrutiny after Yorkshire's 2025 accounts disclosed that SMP73 had received the commission for corporate broking services. The work related to the £100m sale of Northern Superchargers to the Sun Group in February 2025. According to the Guardian, the size of the payment and the relationship between Patel and the club prompted concerns about money leaving cricket and a possible conflict of interest.

Yorkshire chair Colin Graves told club members that the regulator had completed a thorough investigation and determined that the payment went through satisfactory governance and decision-making processes. Graves said in an email to supporters on Friday that no further action was required and the matter was closed.

The Guardian reported that a person familiar with the investigation said regulators found no evidence that Yorkshire had breached England and Wales Cricket Board regulations. The timing of Patel's roles was also understood to be relevant: SMP73's work ended before he formally became chief executive in October 2025, although he had served as interim chief executive from September 2024 and was involved with the club during the franchise auction.

Yorkshire sold its entire holding in Northern Superchargers, unlike most Hundred host counties, which retained 51% stakes. The wider sale of interests in the competition's eight franchises raised £520m for the sport. The Guardian said the ECB remains dissatisfied with the size of Patel's fee, but the governing body declined to comment for its report.

Graves said Yorkshire had hired Patel through SMP73 because of his knowledge of the Hundred and contacts in cricket. He described the arrangement as a performance-based commission tied to achieving a sale above a target set by the board. According to Graves, the resulting return allowed Yorkshire to clear significant debt and improve its financial position. The regulatory finding ends the formal case without charges, while leaving the reported concern over the payment's scale distinct from the question of whether any rule was broken.