Fairness in cricket report: England captain Ben Stokes is ‘deeply sorry’ to hear about the discrimination

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By Matthew Henry, BBC Sport at Lord’s, Jun 27, 2023, 11:45 BST

Updated 30 minutes ago

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We must be more inclusive – Stokes

England captain Ben Stokes said he was “deeply sorry” to hear about the experiences of discrimination reporting on cricket in England and Wales.

Stokes, making a statement ahead of Wednesday’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s, said cricket “must go further and be more inclusive and more varied”.

“There’s clearly a lot more for the game to do, and as players we really want to be a part of that to ensure this is truly a sport for everyone,” Stokes said.

The damning report, released earlier on Tuesday, looked at recreational and professional cricket, and the evidence collected came from more than 4,000 participants.

Among other things, she said that “structural and institutional racism” still exists within the game, women are treated as “subordinate” to men at all levels of the sport, and there is pervasive “elitism and class discrimination” in cricket.

“As a sport, we need to learn from past mistakes and do everything we can to make people feel safe and be themselves at every level,” Stokes said.

“The game must be enjoyed without fear of discrimination.”

Stokes, England women’s captain Heather Knight and former men’s captain Joe Root were among those who gave evidence to the committee.

Cindy Potts, the head of the report, said she had heard of problems “all over cricket, including in the England dressing room”.

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Racism, sexism, classism and elitism are rife in cricket – Chief Reporter Cindy Potts

“For the people involved in the game who felt unwelcome, I am very sorry to hear about your experiences,” Stokes said in his statement.

“Cricket needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts, because without diversity the game would not be what it is today.

“We have to go further and be more inclusive and diverse because the game that I love and the millions of people around the world love has to be enjoyed without fear of discrimination or judgment whether it be because of upbringing, race or gender.”

The report says the influence of private schools in developing cricketers and the lack of cricket in state schools is partly responsible for “elitistism and class discrimination”.

Around 58% of the men who will play for England in 2021 were privately educated, significantly higher than the 7% of the general population who attended private schools.

“Everyone has a different story to tell,” said Stokes.

“I am Ben Stokes, New Zealand born, state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at the age of 16 with a GCSE in Physical Education.

“I needed help with the spelling and grammar of this speech and I am currently sitting here as England’s Test men’s captain.”

Diversity is strength

While admitting he had not read the ICEC report, Australia captain Pat Cummins said: “I’ve been playing for 12 years, we’re all a little bit better than we’ve been.

“We think more about the way we act than we did 12 years ago.

“It’s just an ongoing learning process and something we really try to take care of.

“I love that we have some real diversity in our team. It’s a real strength for us – celebrating everyone’s individuality.

“I hope that anyone who walks into our dressing room, or Australian cricket, whether playing or playing on the ground, feels welcome, appreciated and respected.”

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