WeeklySA_AdminEQUITY: ‘Structural and institutional racism’ continues to exist within the game with women treated as ‘subordinate’ to men at all levels of the sport
By Sports Reporter
The long-awaited Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report, ‘Holding A Mirror Up To Cricket’, was published on Tuesday and has laid bare the extent of discrimination in cricket, leaving the sport’s leaders with a huge job on their hands to reform structures and change attitudes.
The report, which received evidence from more than 4,000 respondents, has taken a forensic look at discrimination within the game.
The England and Wales Cricket Board commissioned the report in November 2020, and formally established the ICEC to carry out the work the following March.
The report dismissed the notion that the racism cases already in the public domain are isolated incidents – racism is “entrenched”, it said. Women are “subordinate” to men within cricket and treated as second-class citizens, which the report says extends to how players are paid, and that they routinely experience sexism and misogyny.
Little or no action has been taken to address class barriers within the sport, which is described as “elitist and exclusionary” by the report. Complaints processes were found to be confusing and overly defensive, offering little support to victims or those accused of discrimination.
The ECB’s dual role as the sport’s promoter and regulator is also questioned, with the report saying it creates “the potential for conflicts of interest”. The ICEC report called for equal average pay between men and women at international level by 2030 In all there are 44 recommendations, with the first being a call for an unreserved apology from the ECB, something the governing body immediately provided.
It calls for equal working conditions between men and women and an equalisation of international match fees with immediate effect, and overall equal average pay at domestic level by 2029 and at international level by 2030.
It called for the creation of a new regulatory body within 12 months, independent of the ECB.
An examination of the decline in black cricket participation is also recommended. A Sport England survey in 2020 found cricket participation numbers among people of black ethnicity were so low as to be statistically irrelevant and lower even than golf and tennis.
In addition to the unreserved apology, the governing body has committed to a three-month consultation process to agree on a path of reforms which address the recommendations of the report.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said it would be entirely wrong to dismiss this report as simply being part of the culture war, and said getting the response right was an “existential issue” for cricket.
The ICEC chair Cindy Butts said the report highlighted the “stark reality that cricket is not a game for everyone”. She did however express confidence in the ECB’s leadership to bring about the change required, and praised the governing body for being “brave enough” to commission such a report in the first place.
Azeem Rafiq, whose decision to speak out about the racism he experienced at Yorkshire ignited the debate around discrimination in the sport, praised the courage of those who had provided evidence to the report.
On Tuesday the ECB recommended Yorkshire be fined GBP 500,000 – with GBP 350,000 of it suspended – by an independent Cricket Discipline Commission panel after the club admitted four charges in relation to their handling of Rafiq’s case and other allegations of racism, plus a failure to address systemic use of racist or discriminatory language over a prolonged period.- additional reporting from Cricket 360 and BBC Sport
ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2023 FIXTURES
CRUCIAL CLASHES: Australia take on South Africa hoping for a reversal of fortunes as a dramatic meeting in the last edition ended in the Proteas’ favour
By Sports Reporter
The fixtures for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India have finally been released. The World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 Final as England take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in what is sure to be a cracking opening encounter.
The tournament is filled with a host of crucial clashes, including the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan on October 15.
This will be the eighth meeting between the two sides at a Men’s World Cup, with their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup being a high-scoring affair with India achieving a huge victory in Manchester.
The Final for the World Cup will then return to the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19. The Proteas will start their ICC Cricket World Cup campaign against the team that finishes second in the ongoing qualifier in Zimbabwe.
A total of 10 teams will participate at the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.
Each team plays the other nine in a round robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals. Apart from the cracking opening encounter and India’s face-off with 2019 semi-finalists Australia, the tournament is filled with a host of crucial clashes.
Australia take on South Africa on October 13 in Lucknow hoping for a reversal of fortunes as a dramatic meeting in the last edition ended in the Proteas’ favour.
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for Sunday October 15 in Ahmedabad. Their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup was a high-scoring affair with India achieving a huge victory in Manchester.
Pakistan will face Australia in Bengaluru on October 20, while England clash against South Africa the next day in Mumbai.
India will go up against New Zealand to try and avenge their 2019 semi-final defeat on October 22 at the picturesque Dharamsala venue and Australia face their arch-rivals England on November 4 in Ahmedabad. The defending champions had thrashed the Aussies to storm into the final four years ago.
India will be waiting for England on October 29 in Lucknow, who defeated them in the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup just last year.
The final group stage match will be England up against Pakistan in Kolkata on November 12.
