Rishi Sunak demanded that sport “must be open to everyone” after a damning report into English cricket branded the sport racist, classist, sexist and elitist.
No10 insisted “there is no place for racism, discrimination, bullying or harassment, in sport nor indeed in wider society”, following the bombshell study.
Downing Street said the review “makes for difficult reading” and confirmed ministers are in contact with the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to discuss and review the findings “in detail”.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Obviously the report today makes for difficult reading and the Prime Minister believes that sport must be open to everyone, that there is no place for racism, discrimination, bullying or harassment, in sport nor indeed in wider society.
“We welcome the ECB’s commitment to bring forward a plan to tackle the issues the report raised and I understand ministers are speaking to the ECB to discuss the findings further and we will review the findings of the report in detail to establish what lessons can be learned.”
The Winchester-educated PM has previously spoken of his love for the sport, which has come under scrutiny since former Yorkshire spin bowler Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism in 2020.
The review by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket concluded "structural and institutional racism" continues to exist within the game.
It also found women are treated as "subordinate" to men at all levels of the sport.
"Elitism and class-based discrimination" was also found to be prevalent in cricket, with the report partly blaming a lack of cricket in state schools.
When asked about this, No10 said: “We want to take the time to look at it, as I believe the ECB are doing as well, to consider what, if any, role the government can play in this. I mean, first and foremost, this is largely for the ECB to address.
“But of course we want there to be a wide provision of sport in state schools and we have put investment into that to ensure that's the case.”
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