First-class grounds to show British Sign Language messages on big screens to combat discrimination

Every first-class venue will display video messages – taught to county and regional pros by England Deaf players – in British Sign Language on their big screens

British Sign Language will be used to help convey anti-discrimination messages at professional games in England and Wales for the first time this summer.

Every first-class venue will display video messages performed by the relevant male and female players for their counties and regions.

The ECB has announced the move to coincide with Sign Language Week, but the work was done in February, with England Deaf players Joel Harris and Jake Oakes acting as teachers to the county and regional pros involved.

The videos are set to appear across all competitions – England internationals, County Championship, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, T20 Blast, Charlotte Edwards Cup, One-Day Cup and The Hundred.

"British Sign Language isn't an easy language to learn," Harris told an ECB blog. "The players have been amazing in the way they have wanted to learn. I have had a lot of good feedback.

^{Harris (left) and Oakes (right) taught the male and female pros at Edgbaston in February (Image: ECB)}

^{Harris in action for England against Australia in 2022 (Albert Perez/Getty Images)}

"We're not asking the players to be knowledgeable, but they've wanted to know more. We've taught them their lines and some of the basics like how important facial expressions and body movement is alongside hand gestures.

"They're small but important things for the deaf community to feel welcomed."

Harris was part of the England team that won the Deaf Ashes in Australia for the first time in 2022.

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