The English Cricket Board (ECB) today published details of further steps it will take to make cricket a more inclusive sport in response to the recent report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).
It aims to accelerate and bolster work already under way across the game designed to make cricket the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales – and aims to address the ICEC’s conclusions that structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination continue to exist across cricket
Following is the summarised response
- The ECB plans to enhance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) education and instill new values and behaviours to foster cultural transformation throughout the cricket community.
- A commitment to invest a minimum of £25 million annually, beyond projected women’s revenue, to promote the growth of women’s and girls’ cricket at all levels until 2028.
- Establishing a Cricket Regulator with independence oversight through an independent Cricket Regulatory Board, ensuring regulation enforcement and investigations separate from the ECB.
- England Women’s match fees will be increased to match those of England Men, and the number of girls’ club teams will triple by 2026.
- Collaborating with partners in the cricket community to design an improved Talent Pathway, aiming to eliminate financial barriers for participants by 2025.
- Developing Action Plans, as requested by the ICEC, to address challenges faced by state school pupils and ethnically diverse communities.
- Allocating an additional £2 million to charity partners supporting initiatives to break down barriers, particularly for state school, Black, and British South Asian children – including ACE Programme, Chance to Shine, Lord’s Taverners, MCC Foundation, and SACA.
- Crafting a comprehensive Volunteering Strategy for the entire cricket community, incorporating essential EDI principles into training.
- Providing support and training across the cricket network to improve understanding of discrimination and complaint management, alongside the launch of a charter outlining expectations for complainants and investigating bodies to ensure fairness and transparency.
- Introducing victimization as an offense in the Anti-Discrimination Code.
- Enhancing EDI standards in future County Partnership Agreements (CPAs) starting from 2025, along with more ambitious County Board targets for gender and ethnic diversity based on local demographics. Venues hosting major matches will be evaluated against minimum EDI standards.
Earlier in June, ICEC released a report, which revealed huge amount of racism in English cricket. The report surveyed multiple cricketers from Asian origin and each one had a story to tell.
Regarding South Asians, ECB says that it will partner with South Asian Cricket Academy for the first time, aiming to nurture more talents of South Asian origin.
Discussions about racism in English Cricket peaked when Azeem Rafiq, in September 2020, opened up about ‘institutional racism’ he had faced at YCCC alleging that he suffered consistent abuse and racist language about his Pakistani heritage.
His allegations set the ball rolling, forcing England cricket to look within. In August 2022, Gary Balance, another English cricket, formally apologised to Azeem for his use of racist language.
Reacting to the report, Yunus Lanat, solicitor said: “The reason for the ICEC report was due to race and religious discrimination and abuse identified by Azeem Rafiq. It is therefore concerning that the primary focus and headline of the ECB response is on gender equality, which receives the largest financial support as well. We should also remember that the ICEC Report itself was weak in identifying proposals for Asian empowerment and executive opportunities. My concern is therefore firstly that race is not relegated down the list of priorities and secondly this should not be seen as a competition of which protected characteristic has been most maligned.”
Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, said: “On the day the ICEC published its report, I apologised without reservation on behalf of cricket’s wider leadership to anyone who has suffered discrimination or felt excluded from our sport. As well as reiterating that apology here, I reaffirm our absolute commitment that cricket will strive to become the most inclusive sport in England and Wales.
“There is no doubt that the ICEC highlighted to great effect the impact of discrimination on individuals and the extent of the systemic challenges to be addressed. Its in-depth analysis also presented an opportunity to put in place a comprehensive plan of action that will deliver meaningful change and rebuild trust among the communities we serve.
“This response represents a set of actions that will accelerate and intensify our work to make cricket a game for everyone, actions that cricket can deliver and fund within an achievable timeframe. It builds on a huge amount of work which is already under way right across the network.
“Cricket hasn’t got it right in the past, but this is an opportunity to move forwards together. I’d urge everyone to now come together, to put their energy and effort into delivering these actions, and to playing their part in ensuring cricket becomes England and Wales’s most inclusive team sport.”
