The ECB, MCC, PCA, NCCA and first-class and recreational county cricket network met at The Oval on Friday, November 19 to discuss discrimination in cricket
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has no intention of standing down from his position in the wake of cricket’s racism scandal, stating "I’m determined to lead this change through cricket."
Speaking outside The Oval following a meeting between the ECB, MCC, PCA, NCCA, and the first-class and recreational county cricket network to address discrimination in cricket, Harrison shut down speculation that he might step down from his position next year.
"I’m determined to lead this change through cricket," he said. "I feel passionately about this issue. It’s something I feel to my core. I’ve been trying to drive an inclusive and diverse sport from the moment I arrived as chief executive in 2015. I feel very motivated and very supported to make sure that change happens in the game.
"What we need to do is make sure we're listening to victims of racism. The ECB has those processes in place, I think in future it's more than likely the ECB would step in immediately to take steps to understand and investigate fully."
The meeting between cricket’s various governing bodies, the chairs of the 18 first-class counties and representatives of the 21 non-first-class counties was called on Friday in the wake of the racism scandal which has engulfed the sport in recent weeks.
Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism and bullying at Yorkshire have prompted other revelations surrounding discrimination within the game to come to light.
Two former Essex players have detailed their experiences at the club while several former and current players were implicated in Rafiq’s testimony to the DCMS select committee on November 16, including Alex Hales, Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks.
In a statement released following the meeting, all parties involved committed to "stamping out discrimination, making cricket more open and inclusive and ensuring effective governance and leadership."
The ECB, MCC, PCA, NCCA and first-class county and recreational county cricket network met at The Oval on November 19
The general feeling from those involved at The Oval on Friday was that positive progress was made.
"There was an acknowledgement the game cannot afford months of wrangling," an insider said.
A 12-point action plan is set to be released on Wednesday, November 24.
The plan is set to include the following actions:
- Targets around gender and ethnic representation at both board and leadership level and in coaching.
- Working on pathway cricket to ensure greater translation of non-white talent from age-group teams at county level to professional staff.
- A review into the identification and reporting of discriminatory behaviour and abuse within stadiums.
The ECB, MCC, PCA, NCCA, and the first-class and recreational county cricket network said in a joint statement: "Azeem Rafiq has shone a light on our game that has shocked, shamed and saddened us all.
"Racism and discrimination is a blight on our game. To Azeem and all those who have experienced any form of discrimination, we are truly sorry. Our sport did not welcome you, our game did not accept you as we should have done. We apologise unreservedly for your suffering.
"We stand together against discrimination in all its forms, and are united as a sport to act. We will continue to listen, and make swift, positive changes to the culture of the game. We will embrace and celebrate differences everywhere, knowing that with diversity, we are stronger.
"Today, as a game, we discussed a series of tangible commitments to make cricket a sport where everyone feels safe, and everyone feels included. We will now finalise the detail and publish these actions next week.
"Our game must win back your trust."
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