Stokes ‘deeply sorry’ after report exposes discrimination

Stokes 'deeply sorry' after report exposes discrimination0

A devastating investigation uncovered “widespread” racism, sexism, and classism in the game of cricket. England captain Ben Stokes said on Tuesday that he is “deeply sorry” to discover of the amount of prejudice that exists in the sport after reading the report.

His remarks came after the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which was established by the England and Wales Cricket Board and published its highly-anticipated report titled Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket. His remarks followed the publication of the report.

The panel comes up with a total of 44 suggestions, one of which is that the board issues a “unqualified public apology” for its previous mistakes.

On the eve of the second Ashes Test against Australia, which will begin at Lord’s on Wednesday, Stokes responded to the publishing of the report that was released the day before.

He remarked, “To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences. ” “I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences,”

“Cricket is a game that should celebrate diversity in all aspects because the game would not be where it is at today if it did not have diversity,”

He went on to say that everyone has their own unique tale to share. I am Ben Stokes, a child of the state education system who left school at the age of 16 with one GCSE (qualification) in physical education. I was born in New Zealand. I am now serving as the Test captain for the England men’s team, and I am in need of assistance with the grammar and spelling in my speech.

In 2021, in the aftermath of a racist incident that centered on the treatment of Pakistani-born bowler Azeem Rafiq at English county cricket club Yorkshire, the International Cricket Equality Commission (ICEC) was founded.

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 investigation discovered that women are considered as “subordinate” to males at all levels of cricket, and added that they get a “embarrassingly small amount” of compensation in comparison to their male counterparts.

It is suggested that the match costs for both the men’s and women’s teams should be “equalized with immediate effect.”

According to the ICEC assessment, there has not been enough done to overcome class barriers in the game, and fee-paying private institutions continue to dominate the talent trail.

– ‘Unequivocal’ –

“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 embedded in the game’s systems and practices.

Ben Stokes, captain of the England men’s test team, and Heather Knight, captain of the England women’s test team, both gave testimony, as did Rafiq, an individual who spoke out against racism.

‘Opportunity’ 

The European Central Bank was commended in the study for having the intestinal fortitude to subject itself to “uncomfortable independent scrutiny.”

Richard Thompson, the current chairman of the ECB who assumed his position the previous year, 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.”

Rafiq expressed his satisfaction with the results of the investigation and recognized the “extraordinary work” that had gone into it.

“There is no doubt now that the game we all love has suffered from institutionalized discrimination, including racism,” he added. “There is no doubt now that the game we all love has suffered from institutionalized discrimination.”

“This report presents an opportunity to fully reflect on what has occurred and for the governing structures of the sport to work out a way to move forward,” the authors write.

According to a statement made by a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the study “makes for difficult reading.”

He added, “The prime minister believes that sport must be open to everyone,” and he made that statement. “Racism, discrimination, bullying, or harassment have no place in sports or in society as a whole,” says one prominent figure in the industry.

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