YORKSHIRE have confirmed the interim appointment of Darren Gough as the county's new managing director of cricket.

The former England paceman is initially in post until the end of the 2022 season, Yorkshire said.

His appointment comes at a time of huge turbulence for the county.

Their handling of Azeem Rafiq's allegations of racism and harassment were widely criticised and led to chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur standing down.

On Friday, 16 members of the coaching and medical staff were dismissed, including first-team coach Andrew Gale and director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

Gough said: "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."

Gough enjoyed great success at Yorkshire and was part of the team which won the County Championship in 2001.

After a spell with Essex he returned to Yorkshire as captain for the 2007 and 2008 seasons before retiring.

He made 58 Test appearances for England and is the 12th-highest Test wicket-taker in national team history with 229 wickets.

Yorkshire chairman Lord Patel, of Bradford, 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".