England Cricket Board EXPOSED after report reveals the prevalence of racism, sexism, and elitism; Ben Stokes reacts

The England and Wales Cricket Board is under scrutiny for prevalence of racism and sexism in the board, after ICEC released its latest report.

England Cricket Board EXPOSED after report reveals the prevalence of racism, sexism, and elitism; Ben Stokes reacts

ECB (Source: News18)

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), set up in March 2021 after the Black Lives Matter movement and the scandal associated with Azeem Rafiq, published a 317-page report on structural inequalities across race, gender, and class in cricket – ‘Holding up a Mirror to Cricket’. The ICEC questions why the England & Wales Cricket Board has failed to tackle the problems of sexism, racism, and elitism.

The report reveals that there is still discrimination attributed to the game, women are regularly exposed to sexism and misogyny, and how people from lower socio-economic groups continue to face barriers to participating in cricket. The findings of the report expose the dark side of England’s Cricket.

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The report also reveals that 82% of Indians and 87% of Bangladeshis & Pakistanis have faced discrimination in the last 5 years. The ECB has failed to respect and accommodate the black community. Women are paid a mediocre salary by the board as compared to men.

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Ben Stokes reacts to England board’s results

Ben Stokes
England Test skipper Ben Stokes (Source: News9Live)

Ben Stokes, skipper of England’s men’s test team reacted to the report and its findings where he expressed his apology for what has been going on.

He said, “To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences. Cricket is a game that needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts because without diversity this game would not be where it is at today. Everyone has a different story to tell. I am Ben Stokes, born in New Zealand, a state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at 16 with one GCSE (qualification) in PE. I need help with the spelling and grammar in this speech and l am currently sitting here as the England men’s Test captain.”

The report has also suggested 44 recommendations to the board to help tackle these issues. It is vital to note that this is not the first time that such revelations have been made about the ECB. In 2021, the board was under scrutiny after cricketer Azeem Rafiq made revelations about his experience and treatment at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

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