Cricket in England and Wales has been plagued by discrimination, including racism, sexism, classism and elitism, according to a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).
In response, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced plans to establish an independent regulator and invest in the women’s game to make cricket more inclusive.
The ECB has pledged to invest at least £25m per year to further grow the women’s and girls’ game at every level within the current broadcast cycle, which runs until 2028.
The regulator is expected to be operational before the start of the 2024 season and will be independent of the ECB, reporting to the Independent Cricket Regulatory Board.
The ECB has also committed to equalising match fees for England’s women’s and men’s teams and developing a Women’s Professional Game Strategy for 2025-2029 to plot a path to sustainable domestic player pay parity in the future.
The ECB will overhaul the talent pathway to make it more meritocratic, inclusive, accountable, transparent and consistent, and add victimisation as an offence in the Anti-Discrimination Code.
Additionally, the ECB will publish a state of equity report every three years and adopt a more transparent and accountable approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.
ECB chair Richard Thompson acknowledged the impact of discrimination on individuals and the extent of the systemic challenges to be addressed.
He unreservedly apologized when the findings were published three months ago, again saying, “Cricket hasn’t got it right in the past, but this is an opportunity to move forward together”.
He said the response represented a set of actions that cricket could deliver and fund within an achievable timeframe.
He added: “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 underway right across the network.”
However, former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq, whose allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire rocked English cricket, criticised the ECB’s response as inadequate, calling for greater detail and stronger commitments.
UK Minister for sport Stuart Andrew said he was “encouraged” by the ECB’s plans but added that the government would be watching “closely”.
“Sport must be open to everyone – there is absolutely no place for racism, discrimination, bullying or harassment in sport or society.
“The ICEC report was a comprehensive examination of the game. It made for difficult reading.
“I am encouraged by the concrete actions set out by the ECB, such as the investment being made in the women’s game. We will closely watch if, and how, these new measures make the sport more inclusive.”
