ECB must tackle racism to get public funding: parliamentary committee
>> Reuters
Published: 14 Jan 2022 04:12 PM BdST Updated: 14 Jan 2022 04:12 PM BdST
-
Logo of England and Wales Cricket Board, or ECB. Twitter
Cricket has a deep-seated problem with racism and public funding should be limited unless the game can prove it is cleaning up its act, a British parliamentary committee said in a report published on Friday.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport parliamentary committee called for quarterly reports and monitoring by indicators developed by the England and Wales Cricket Board, or ECB.
"We recommend that the government ensures
that any future public funds for cricket are dependent on continuous,
demonstrable progress in getting rid of racism in both the dressing rooms and
on the stands," the report said.
It added that both Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB would be invited
to give evidence on their progress in early 2022.
Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has described the sport in England as riddled with racism and appeared before the committee in November to detail the "inhuman" treatment he suffered at county level. read more
Rafiq, a former England Under-19s captain of Pakistani descent, had previously spoken of being subjected to racial slurs and feeling isolated and humiliated -- even considering killing himself.
"I lost my career to racism," he said at the time.
Committee chair Julian Knight said Rafiq's testimony convinced members there was "an endemic problem across the whole of cricket".
"We have been shocked by language people used in correspondence with us after the hearing," he added.
"That, together with stories run in the media to discredit him, demonstrate that eradicating racism from the game will be a long and difficult road.
"However, this is a watershed for cricket in this country. Those who love and support the game are part of the solution and must play their part."
The scandal has shaken English sport and cost Yorkshire sponsors and the right to host England internationals, as well as embroiling some of the biggest names in English cricket.
New Yorkshire Chairman Kamlesh Patel promised "seismic change" when he took over.
"Public funding for cricket must depend on real leadership and progress by the ECB to tackle abhorrent behaviour," Knight said.
"We put the ECB on notice that we expect regular updates delivered to this Committee on progress being made."
-
India drop in WTC rankings
-
England trying to rewrite Test cricket: Stokes
-
England pull off record chase
-
Officials probe racist abuse allegations at Edgbaston Test
-
New Zealand players sign five-year equal pay deal
-
Root, Bairstow keep England on course
-
India in charge at Edgbaston
-
Anderson calls for aggressive approach with bat
-
India drop in WTC rankings, Bumrah rues batting after loss
-
England trying to rewrite Test cricket, says Stokes
-
Root and Bairstow help England to pull off record chase and level series
-
Officials investigate racist abuse allegations at Edgbaston Test
-
New Zealand players sign five-year equal pay deal
-
Pant falls after scoring fifty, India's lead swells at Edgbaston
Most Read
- Ex-BCL leader sets himself on fire at Press Club in Dhaka
- Bangladesh is gearing up to open its first river tunnel by the end of 2022
- Drastic fall in passenger numbers forces owners to cut Dhaka-Barishal launch fares
- Bangladesh weighs rollback of power production amid soaring fuel prices
- Biman Bangladesh jets collide again at Dhaka airport
- Bangladesh to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on Jul 10
- Henolux owner, wife accused of provoking contractor Anis to commit suicide
- RAB arrests Henolux owner Nurul Amin, wife for ‘instigating’ suicide of a contractor
- Bangladesh jails teacher for 8 years over 'blasphemous' Facebook posts
- Contractor Gazi Anis dies from burn wounds after setting himself on fire