Government tells ECB to get house in order or risk future funding

In a statement, the government insists it has left the ECB "in no doubt" over the need for progress and warned that it will "intervene further" unless "evidence of improvements" is apparent

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Any future funding of cricket will depend upon "demonstrable progress in getting rid of racism in both the dressing rooms and on the stands," according to a government statement.

The statement follows the DCMS (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) select committee's report on racism in cricket, produced in January, which recommended that "any future public funds for cricket" had to be dependent on progress on the issue.

In it, the government insists it has left the ECB "in no doubt" over the need for progress and warned that it will "intervene further" unless "evidence of improvements" is apparent.

"The government agrees with this recommendation [into the requirements for further public funding]," the statement reads. "In fact, public funding is already explicitly linked to the development and implementation of robust diversity and inclusion policies and plans - in cricket and beyond. The government and Sport England has left the ECB in no doubt on the need to make progress in this regard.

"Sport England provides the ECB with funding to support the growth of grassroots cricket in England. Funding is allocated to specific measures aimed at improving access and participation. The focus of Sport England's 2017–21, and rollover year 2021–22, investment into the ECB was mainly into key project work to tackle inequalities and increase diversity. To continue receiving funding from Sport England the ECB will have to meet the funding requirements as outlined in the Code for Sport Governance."

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Yorkshire CCC, and English cricket in general, have been told to address instiutional racism

The committee also recommended that the ECB "develop a set of key indicators by which they might measure their progress" and report back every quarter. Again, the government has agreed the ECB "needs to be held to account and transparently report their progress."

"The government agrees that the ECB needs to be held to account and transparently report their progress against key indicators," the statement reads. "The government believes it is well placed to hold the ECB to account for progress, and has already taken a proactive role in this regard.

"Since November 2021, the Minister for Sport has regularly met with both the ECB and the first-class county cricket clubs. Through these meetings, the government has been monitoring developments and stressing the importance of tangible action being taken to address issues regarding racism and racial inequality across cricket.

"The government will continue to call in the ECB quarterly and track their progress in tackling racism and increasing diversity, and will hold them to account for delivery against the joint 12-point action plan published in November 2021. This is in line with the ECB's commitment to provide quarterly public updates against this plan.

"We expect to see evidence of improvements across the sport and delivery on the ECB's ambition to eradicate racism from cricket. However if these changes are not made and implemented, the government reserves the right to intervene further. This has been made clear to the ECB and the first-class counties."

Julian Knight, the DCMS committee chair, welcomed the ECB's approval of the recommendations while taking a not-so-subtle prod at Robin Smith, the former Yorkshire chair, who continues to resist many of the reforms at the club. While Smith is not named in Knight's statement, the barb about "anyone who still fails to acknowledge the deep-seated nature of racism in the sport" is surely aimed in his direction.

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Yorkshire chair Lord Patel has proposed changes to how Yorkshire operates, these will go to a members' vote

"Our view that sustained action is urgently needed to root out endemic racism in cricket is one that has now received overwhelming support from across the board," Knight said.

"The ECB, PCA and long-standing sponsors, who have severed their links with Yorkshire over the club's approach to tackling the problem, are all now on the same page and the committee and the government are speaking as one. Anyone who still fails to acknowledge the deep-seated nature of racism in the sport, while using distraction tactics to frustrate much needed reforms, is in the minority.

"Next week, by voting for the reforms put forward by Lord Patel, Yorkshire members can continue the process of the club's rehabilitation. This should be just the first step in cricket putting its house in order.

"Such a move however will not only secure the long-term future of the club by restoring international matches to Headingley but will act as signal to the wider cricketing world that, with the right will, strong and determined action can be taken to tackle the scourge of racism that has stained the game."

The recommendations followed Azeem Rafiq's testimony to the committee in November.


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