Racism, elitism and sexism ‘entrenched’ in English cricket, damning report finds
Racism is entrenched in English cricket and other forms of discrimination are widespread and deep-rooted, according to a damning report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published today.
Half of more than 4,000 respondents said they experienced discrimination, with women “marginalised and routinely experiencing sexism and misogyny”, and “little to no focus on addressing class barriers in cricket”.
English cricket’s complaints system is “confusing, overly defensive and not fit for purpose”, while the “systems in place to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) require significant improvement”, the report says.
The ICEC was established by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to examine inequality in the game and canvassed the views of players, coaches, administrators and fans for its Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket study.
“Our findings are unequivocal. Racism, class-based discrimination, elitism and sexism are widespread and deep rooted,” said ICEC chair Cindy Butts.
“The game must face up to the fact that it’s not banter or just a few bad apples. Discrimination is both overt and baked into the structures and processes within cricket. The stark reality is cricket is not a game for everyone.”
It comes after a bruising two years for the ECB following allegations of racism at Yorkshire and Essex, leading to sanctions for counties, coaches and players.
The ICEC report makes 44 recommendations for overhauling English cricket, starting with an equivocal apology from the ECB for its own failings.
Among the other recommendations are: giving women’s cricket equal representation in ECB decision-making; developing actions plans to revive Black cricket and remove class barriers; and establishing a new regulatory body independent of the ECB to address conflict of interest concerns.
Chairman Richard Thompson, who took office in 2022, almost two years after the report was commissioned, said the ECB was “truly sorry”.
“On behalf of the ECB and wider leadership of the game, I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don’t belong,” he added.
“Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case. Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and Black people were neglected.”
The ECB will spend the next three months formulating a plan of action in order to make cricket “the most inclusive sport in England and Wales”, Thompson said.
In a letter to Butts and the ICEC, Thompson says: “I am determined that this wake-up call for cricket in England and Wales must not be wasted. We will use this moment to reset cricket. This cannot and will not be a quick fix.”