The ECB must tackle racism in order to obtain public funding – Parliamentary Committee

Cricket has a deep racist problem and public funding should be limited if it does not prove that the game is clearing its action, a British Parliamentary Committee said in a report released on Friday.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary Committee called for quarterly reports and follow-up through indicators developed by the England and Wales Cricket Committee (ECB).

“We recommend that the government ensure that future public funds for cricket will be subject to continued and demonstrable progress to eliminate racism in both locker rooms and stands,” the report said.

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He added that the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB will be invited in early 2022 to provide evidence of their progress.

Former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq has described the sport in England as full of racism and appeared before the committee in November to determine the “inhumane” treatment he had suffered at county level. Rafiq, a former captain under Pakistan’s 19-year-old native of Pakistan, spoke before that he had suffered racial violence and felt isolated and humiliated, even considering killing himself.

“I lost my career because of racism,” he said at the time.

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Committee Chairman Julian Knight said Rafiq’s testimony convinced members that “there was an endemic problem throughout cricket.”

“We are amazed at the language used in our correspondence after the hearing,” he added.

“It simply came to our notice then. However, this is at the heart of the country’s cricket. Those who love and accept the game are part of the solution and should be involved. ”

The scandal has shaken English sports cost Yorkshire sponsors and The right to receive internationals in England, as well as confusing some of the biggest names in English cricket. New Yorkshire President Kamlesh Patel promised a “seismic change” when he took office.

“Public funding for cricket must depend on real ECB leadership and progress in tackling disgusting behavior,” Knight said.

“We have warned the ECB that we look forward to regular updates on the progress being made to this Commission.”