England cricket rocked by bombshell racism report

1 year ago 103

England skipper Ben Stokes has apologised aft a bombshell enquiry uncovered "widespread" racism, sexism, classism and elitism wrong the English cricket system.

The findings from the Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket's report, released connected Tuesday, gathered grounds from much than 4,000 respondents from each levels of cricket, including recreational and professional.

The study concluded women were "subordinate" to men astatine each levels of the game, and "structural and organization racism" arsenic good arsenic "elitism and class-based discrimination" was a occupation astatine each levels of the game.

In a verbal connection up of the 2nd Ashes Test astatine Lord's, Stokes said helium was "deeply sorry" to perceive the report's findings.

Stokes speechmaking the connection astatine Lord's connected Monday evening (AEST). (Getty)

"It is wide determination is truthful overmuch much the crippled has to bash and arsenic players we truly privation to beryllium a portion of that to guarantee this is genuinely a athletics for everyone," Stokes said.

"As a sport, we request to larn from past mistakes and bash each we tin to marque radical consciousness harmless and beryllium themselves astatine each level," Stokes said.

"The crippled should beryllium enjoyed without fearfulness of discrimination."

According to the BBC, Stokes, teammate and erstwhile skipper Joe Root, and existent women's skipper Heather Knight were among the 4000 respondents.

"To the radical progressive wrong the crippled who person been made to consciousness unwelcome, I americium profoundly atrocious to perceive of your experiences," Stokes said successful his statement.

"Cricket needs to observe diverseness connected each fronts, arsenic without diverseness it would not beryllium the crippled it is today.

"We indispensable spell further and beryllium much inclusive and divers due to the fact that the crippled I emotion and millions worldwide emotion should beryllium enjoyed without fearfulness of favoritism oregon judgement whether owed to upbringing, contention oregon gender."

Stokes was 1 of the much than 4000 respondents the Commission heard from. (ECB via Getty Images)

The study said the "class-based elitism" that was prevalent astatine the nonrecreational level was owed to the over-representation of players with a backstage education.

While lone 7 per cent of the broader English colonisation went to backstage school, immoderate 58 per cent of men to play for England successful 2021 were privately educated.

Stokes is successful that minority.

"Everyone has a antithetic communicative to tell," Stokes said.

"I americium Ben Stokes, calved successful New Zealand, a authorities educated pupil who dropped retired of schoolhouse astatine 16 …

"I needed assistance with the spelling and grammar successful this code and americium presently sitting present arsenic the England men's Test captain."

The study besides highlighted that a women's Test has ne'er been held astatine Lord's – an anomaly that is acceptable to beryllium rectified, but not until 2026.

The 2nd Ashes Test gets underway connected Wednesday night.

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