Essex chairman Azeem Akhtar has ‘voluntarily stepped down’ as the club carry out an immediate independent review of historical social media content, having only been appointed to the role earlier this week.
Sir Stephen O’Brien was appointed as Acting President.
Essex says it is “committed to upholding the values of strong leadership, governance and accountability”.
Aktar said in a statement: “I have made the decision to launch this review because it is important that as Chairman and for the Essex County Cricket Club more broadly we uphold the highest standards of governance and accountability.
“By stepping down, I want to show leadership and ensure the club can focus on the ongoing challenges it is tackling.
“I am strongly committed to ensuring that Essex County Cricket Club is an inclusive and welcoming environment for people from all walks of life.”
Essex were placed under “non-compliance process” by the England and Wales Cricket Board in May, after “falling significantly short” of the board’s diversity targets, and implement a new governance plan in June.
