An independent assessment that was released on Tuesday said that not enough had been done to combat systemic racism and sexism in the sport of cricket.
As a result, the leaders of England cricket have committed to “reset” the game.
In the wake of a controversy involving racism, the England and Wales Cricket Board established, in 2021, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket to investigate concerns about diversity, inclusion, and equity in cricket.
In September of 2020, Pakistani-born bowler Azeem Rafiq went public with charges that he had experienced racism and abuse while playing for the English county Yorkshire during two separate stints.
More than 4,000 persons were questioned for the ICEC survey, and of those people, fifty percent reported having experienced some kind of prejudice in the five years before to the interview. The percentages were much higher for those who came from areas with a wide range of ethnicities.
The research noted that women were often considered as “second-class citizens,” and it also said that not enough had been done to overcome class barriers, despite the fact that private schools dominated the pipeline into cricket. The phrase “second-class citizens” was used throughout the report.
“Our findings are unequivocal,” said Cindy Butts, who serves as head of the ICEC. “Racism, sexism, elitism, and other forms of discrimination based on class are pervasive and have deep roots.
“The game has to come to terms with the idea that it’s not simply banter or a few of rotten participants. In cricket, discrimination may be seen on the surface, yet it is also deeply ingrained in the game’s systems and practices.
There have been a total of 44 proposals made, one of which is a demand for male and female international players to receive equal compensation by the year 2030.
According to the findings of the analysis, the average income that England women players get for playing white-ball cricket is little more than a fifth of what England men receive for playing the same position.
Richard Thompson, chairman of the English Cricket Board, said that the organization will “use this moment to reset cricket.”
“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 as though they don’t belong,” he added. “I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don’t belong.”
“The game of cricket ought to be accessible to all people, but we are aware that this has not always been the case.
The research comes to many compelling findings, one of which is that women and people of color have been overlooked for far too long. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”
The Cricket Discipline Commission issued fines to six former players from Yorkshire after finding them guilty of using discriminatory words in relation to the Rafiq case last month.
Michael Vaughan, a former captain of England, chose to defend himself at the hearing that took place in March and was ultimately found not guilty of using racist language “on the balance of probabilities.”