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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

Darren Gough lifts lid on challenge of rebuilding Yorkshire after Azeem Rafiq race row

As Yorkshire 's interim managing director of cricket, Darren Gough has been tasked with the challenge of rebuilding the club in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.

They axed their entire coaching staff back in November, including former director of cricket Martyn Moxon, and Gough was parachuted in by new chair Lord Patel to help "build a brighter future for Yorkshire".

And the 51-year-old, who spent 15 years at the club as a player and played 58 Tests for England, said the position was one he "couldn't turn down".

Gough spoke privately with Rafiq during his ordeal and discussed passionately about the way he was treated by Yorkshire's previous regime.

Darren Gough was named Yorkshire's interim managing director of cricket in December (Popperfoto via Getty Images)

"When I heard about what happened I reached out to him again," Gough told the Daily Mail . "My big concern came when I read he was having suicidal thoughts and he talked openly about that to me.

"It’s obvious the allegations were handled badly and the club absolutely recognises that. I just wanted to play a part in rebuilding this huge cricket club both on and off the pitch. I wanted to be part of it.

"It hasn’t been easy and it’s not going to be. It won’t all happen overnight and people still might make mistakes. Clearly things happened that shouldn’t have and education is the biggest part of all this for all of us.

Gough spent 15 years at the club as a player (Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

"I’m being educated every day and we have to move forward together and create a culture that everyone can be proud of and everyone else can aspire to."

Gough clearly knows the mammoth task ahead, having returning to his beloved former club when they were at their lowest ebb, but he is determined to usher in a new era.

"I came in purely to try to rebuild and we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now to learn and create a model that will be a leading light in cricket and the sporting world.

"It’s been about people learning from what happened and becoming the best, most forward-thinking club in the country. That is the aim."

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