A deep-seated issue of racism continues in cricket
The report’s overview is damning. It states that racism in cricket is not confined to “pockets” or “a few bad apples” and neither is it limited to individual incidents of misconduct.
“The evidence is unequivocal: racism is a serious issue in cricket.”
“Racism, in all its forms, continues to shape the experience of, and opportunities for, many in the game.” Page 10
Racism normalised and lack of trust in reporting discrimination
The report states that “50% of respondents described experiencing discrimination in the previous five years” and that “the figures were substantially higher for people from ethnically diverse communities: 87% of people with Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, 82% of people with Indian heritage and 75% of all Black respondents”. Page 11
When outlining the complaints procedure in Chapter 8 of the report, the authors quote a high level of dissatisfaction with the process when people reported discrimination, whereby only 18% of those who had complained were satisfied, reducing to 9% of complaints by ethnically diverse people. Page 190
Lack of representation and structural barriers
The report states: “In cricket’s most senior leadership, South Asian representation is limited to 2.8% despite South Asians making up 26-29% of the game’s adult recreational population and 6.9% of the population of England and Wales.” Page 59
Statistics imply that in total, ethnically diverse representation comprises only 5.6% of leadership in cricket, while comprising 18.3% of the English and Wales population and in the region of 30-35% of recreational cricket players.
“The ethnicity of male and female players at professional level does not reflect the ethnicity of the adult recreational playing base, nor the wider population of England and Wales.” Page 11
There has been a decline “in Black British male professional players of around 75%”. Page 69
The report also indicated that female cricketers playing at domestic professional level are disproportionately white: in 2021, there were only two Black British, four mixed/multiple ethnicity and eight South Asian female players, out of a total of 161. Page 11
Cricket has failed Black communities
The report states “The decline in Black cricket in England and Wales has been well documented and subject to much public debate for many years.”
“Whilst there has been some recent and welcome recognition by the ECB that Black communities need targeted interventions, we found it deeply concerning and surprising that we could identify no evidence of direct ECB-led activity to understand, halt or reverse this decline since the ECB’s formation in 1997.” Page 12
In analysing the ECB’s Inspiring Generations and South Asian Action Plan policies, the report “rejects the notion that the ECB has no option but to prioritise South Asian Cricket over and above Black cricket”. Page 122
ECB’s response has been slow
The report states: “The ECB’s efforts to address the challenges of equity, diversity and inclusion in cricket only gained real momentum in 2018, nearly 19 years after the 1999 ‘Clean Bowl Racism’ report concluded that racism existed in cricket.” Page 12
The report also rebukes the governing body for its overemphasis on good PR in terms of the speed of implementing its 12-point plan in November 2021 only 10 days after Azeem Rafiq appeared in front of the digital, culture, media and sport select committee. Page 116
Recommendations to improve racial equity include
• The ECB to publish updated State of Equity in Cricket report every three years.
• Within six months the ECB should put in place mandatory specialist training for racial literacy among its leadership and establish an executive-level chief equity diversity and inclusion office role with sufficient resource.
• Over the next 12 months commission a study into the decline of cricket in Black communities, increase funding for the ACE Programme and identify and support Black-led cricket clubs across England and Wales.
Women seen as an ‘add-on’ to the game
The report states: “Women are not even nearly on an equal footing with men within the sport today. Our evidence shows that women continue to be treated as subordinate to men within, and at all levels of, cricket. This is evident both from the lived experience of professional and recreational women cricketers and from the structural barriers that women continue to face.”
“The women’s game lacks proper representation amongst the highest level of decision-makers within cricket.” Page 13
Unequal treatment and pay for women
“Women receive an embarrassingly small amount compared to men … the average salary for England Women is 20.6% of the average salary for England Men. Page 78
The report goes on to talk about the differing levels of investment in that in 2021 for every £1 the ECB spent on England women’s teams it spent £5 on the men’s teams and that in overall remuneration England men received 13 times the amount paid to England women. Pages 78-79
The report also states that there are “significant levels” of inequity in the availability of kit and in the number of grounds and facilities for women and girls. The report is also damning of the fact that England Women have yet to play a Test at Lord’s. Page 13
A culture of sexism
The report states that it has heard evidence of “a widespread culture of sexism and misogyny, and unacceptable behaviour towards women in both the recreational and professional game”. Page 14
In terms of culture, among multiple criticisms of a laddish drinking culture, anecdotal evidence supplied in the report referred to “predatory behaviour” and the report said it had received “some disturbing examples of the conduct and attitude of men towards women, often fuelled by alcohol”. Page 94
Key recommendations to improve equity for women
• Overhaul of women’s pay structure to ensure equal pay at domestic level by 2020 and at international level by 2030.
• Match fees for England men and women to be made equal immediately.
• As part of governance structure overhaul, women’s game should have equal representation to the men’s game including direct representation on par with first-class counties, not indirectly through the FCCs.
• Articles of Association amended with specific obligation to promote and develop women’s and girl’s cricket.
Elitism reigns
The report states that there is “a prevalence of elitism and class-based discrimination in cricket. Much of this is, we believe, structural and institutional in nature, driven partly by the lack of access to cricket in state schools and the way in which the talent pathway is structurally bound up with private schools”.
It quotes the statistic that the percentage of privately educated male England players was 57% in 2012, and 58% in 2021 – “significantly higher than the 7% of the general population who are privately educated”.
“The scarce provision of cricket in state schools, the widespread links between cricket and private schools, the cost and time associated with playing youth cricket, the lack of a systematic, contextual process for talent identification, and the relative absence of diversity amongst coaches on the talent pathway: these are all important factors which present significant barriers to an equitable system.” Page 15
In statistical analysis the report focuses on pathways and costs; with one parent reporting it cost more than £7,000 a year to keep two daughters in the system in terms of lost work and costs. Pages 226-227
Further studies quoted in the report showed privately educated white British cricketers were 13 times more likely to become professional cricketers than their state educated counterparts while private school children were 2.5 times more likely to take part in cricket in an average week. Page 231
Key recommendations to remove class barriers include
• Nominations system by schools/clubs to be abolished and replaced by open trials.
• Participation in talent pathway should be made free of direct costs charged by counties.
• ECB should introduce county and national level T20 competitions for state boys and girls’ teams at U14 and U15 age group. National finals day to replace annual Eton v Harrow match at Lord’s.
