English cricket to get independent regulator in reply to discrimination issues

In response to a stinging investigation that claimed racism and other forms of discrimination were institutionalised in the sport, the chiefs of English cricket are expected to unveil an independent regulator. The regulator will be established for the upcoming season and will be ring-fenced from the rest of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It will be in charge of looking into and enforcing rule violations.

This is set to happen three months after the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), issued a report which was partly sparked by the racism controversy at Yorkshire. The ECB will also improve its equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) requirements and prohibit nations that don't meet them from hosting international events and Test matches.

The governing body will also invest £25 million more in women's cricket than is anticipated in order to grow the sport, including equating match payments for male and female England players.

Richard Thompson, ECB chairman, stated that the ICEC effectively exposed the effects of prejudice on people and the scope of the systemic issues that need to be addressed. He continued by saying that its analysis offered a chance to implement a thorough action plan that would result in genuine change and rebuild the trust of communities.

“There is no doubt that the ICEC highlighted to great effect the impact of discrimination on individuals and the extent of the systemic challenges to be addressed,” Thompson was quoted as saying by CITY A.M.

“Its in-depth analysis also presented an opportunity to put in place a comprehensive plan of action that will deliver meaningful change and rebuild trust among the communities we serve. 

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 under way right across the network. Cricket hasn’t got it right in the past, but this is an opportunity to move forwards together," he added.

“Our findings are unequivocal. Racism, class-based discrimination, elitism, and sexism are widespread and deep-rooted," Cindy Butts, the chair of the ICEC, concluded in the report, which followed a two-year inquiry.