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The Cricket Board of England and Wales is set to launch a “social media review” that could lead to widespread disciplinary action following Ollie Robinson’s Twitter posts.
The Sussex sailor was suspended from English customs pending an investigation after historic racist and sexist posts in 2012 and 2013 returned during his test debut against New Zealand last week.
Since the release of Robinson’s posts, several international social media feeds have been investigated, and an unnamed player has been found to have posted offensive tweets under the age of 16.
Meanwhile, the experienced English trio James Anderson, Jos Buttler and restricted captain Eoin Morgan have all been guilty of posting potentially offensive messages.
The ECB’s Executive Board met on Wednesday when they decided to look into the matter further. A statement issued on Saturday said: “The government agreed to the executive government’s recommendation to review social media to address historical issues, to remind individuals of their personal responsibilities, and to help them learn along the way.
“The government was clear that this process will not prevent further disciplinary action if required within the applicable processes, but it is hoped that the game can evolve from this difficult period to be stronger and more determined to be more inclusive and hospitable. For all.”
According to the ECB, the review would be “cooperative”, involving all administrators, players, coaches and the professional cricket association, the players’ association.
– “Penalty” –
The revelations from Robinson’s Twitter posts came just hours after both England and New Zealand teams lined up before playing on the morning of the first test opening day for a ‘moment of unity’ to show their determination to eliminate discrimination in cricket.
There were also T-shirts on the English side with the message “Cricket is a game for everyone”.
ECB President Ian Watmore on Saturday called for a commitment from the government to diversity and inclusion.
“As a national government, we need to lead the way to help individuals present an inclusive image, educate them about what is expected of them, and give them space to express themselves to the public. We also need to investigate their actions and impose sanctions on them when they fall short,” he said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson supported his Secretary of Culture and Sport’s comments that Robinson’s freeze was “up”.
But the ECB’s Saturday statement called for it to maintain faith in its disciplinary process.
“The government is convinced that there are the right processes in place to assess interruptions and disciplinary action under players’ employment contracts, ”it said.
The case is not limited to England’s international players, with the county side of Lancashire announcing on Friday that it has launched an ‘immediate review and investigation’ into allegations of offensive tweets by five of its players.
PCA CEO Rob Lynch said last week had been “an important period for all professional crikers in our sport.”
He added: “We are committed to working with members and the ECB on further training, and we can always do more.
“We are negotiating with our members and working with the ECB to develop guidelines for the review of social media, which in turn will lead to a better vision and opportunity for improvement.”
jdg / nr
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