Cricket not immune from racism, admits ECB
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in a statement, have admitted that racism is something that cricket is not immune from and stated that they will work to ensure more diversity within the system. The board also lauded players for coming out and speaking about the sensitive topic.
On the back of the #BlackLivesMatter movement across the world, West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy, recently, spoke out about the casual racism that existed in the IPL during his time with Sunrisers Hyderabad and ever since, more players have taken to different platforms to voice their opinions. The most notable and scathing criticism and accusation came from former English cricketer Michael Carberry, who ripped into English cricket for not having any kind of Black representation at the top level, and even stated that there existed some kind of bias amongst journalists when it came to their treatment of Black cricketers.
Now, on the back of these developments, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have issued a statement on the matter and have admitted that cricket is a sport that is not immune from racism. ECB emphasized and admitted the need for a change and hinted at reforming their structures in order to bring about more representation within the system.
"We know that systemic racism spans institutions and sectors across the country and we know that our sport is not immune.
"We truly believe that cricket is a game for everyone but understand that sadly, barriers to its enjoyment exist for many communities. We have made progress in bringing cricket to more and more people around the country and it is our resolve to break down barriers and reform our structures everywhere across the game.
"In recent weeks we have reflected, and acknowledge that black players and fans, who have contributed so much to the history of our game, now feel disenfranchised. They do not feel as if cricket is a game for them. This must change,” the ECB said in a statement.
Carberry, in his statement, pointed out the lack of Black representation within English cricket - be it in the administration or in the coaching field - and the ECB assured that they would engage more people of colour to address the lack of diversity that currently exists within the system. The board further lauded all the individuals who have been vocal about the issue.
"We will now work to engage community leaders and black influencers within cricket so that we can review and evolve our existing inclusion and diversity work and specifically address the issues raised by the black community. From there, it is our overall desire to create demonstrable action, in order to deliver meaningful and long-term change that permeates every layer of the game
"We have listened carefully to those who have spoken out in recent weeks about their experiences of being black in cricket, sport and society. We admire them for being vocal on this crucial topic.”
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