Racism “just ingrained” in English cricket, report says

LONDON England cricket chiefs have vowed to restart the game after an independent report published on Tuesday found not enough had been done to tackle institutional racism and sexism in the game.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) established the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) in 2021 to review diversity, inclusion and equity following the racism scandal.

Pakistan-born bowler Azeem Rafiq went public with allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020 relating to his two spells in Yorkshire, England.

Of the more than 4,000 people interviewed for the ICEC report, 50 per cent said they had experienced discrimination in the past five years, with figures significantly higher for people from ethnically diverse communities.

Women were often treated as second-class citizens, the report also found that not enough had been done to break down class barriers, with private schools dominating the pathway to cricket.

Our results are unequivocal, said ICEC President Cindy Butts. Racism, classism, elitism and sexism are widespread and deeply rooted.

The game needs to face the fact that it’s not a joke or just a few bad apples. Discrimination is both overt and embedded in the structures and processes of cricket.

A total of 44 recommendations have been made, including a demand for equal pay between men and women for international players by 2030.

According to the report, the average salary of England’s female players is just over a fifth of that of English men playing white-ball cricket.

ECB President Richard Thompson said the organization is using this moment to reset cricket.

On behalf of the ECB and the wider leadership of the game, I apologize unreservedly to anyone who has ever been left out of cricket or made to feel like they don’t belong,” he said.

Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that hasn’t always been the case.

The report’s powerful conclusions also highlight that women and black people have been neglected for too long. We are really sorry about this.

Cricket’s Disciplinary Commission last month banned six former Yorkshire players who were guilty of using racist language in Rafiq’s case.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was cleared on the balance of probabilities of using racist language after deciding to defend himself at a hearing in March. AFP