ECB chair makes apology to "anyone who has been excluded from cricket or made to feel they don't belong"

In a letter to ICEC commissioner Cindy Butts, Thompson said the report "makes for deeply uncomfortable reading for all who love cricket" and said the sport should not "exclude anyone on the basis of their ethnicity, gender or social background"

ECB chair Richard Thompson has issued a landmark apology to "anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don't belong" in response to a damning report into discrimination within the game in England and Wales. 

Thompson's comments, which include saying this is the "moment to reset cricket", come in response to the findings of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report, Holding Up A Mirror To Cricket.  

The report, which took into account testimony from more than 4,000 people and has been prepared over the course of three years, has narrated a story of deep-rooted discrimination within cricket, including structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination.

In an open letter to ICEC commissioner Cindy Butts, Thompson said the report "makes for deeply uncomfortable reading for all of those who love cricket" and reiterated the sport "should never exclude anyone on the basis of their ethnicity, gender or social background".  

He labelled it a "wakeup call for cricket" that "must not be wasted" while acknowledging, as the report does, that the sport has been here before.  

^{English cricket is digesting the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report [Getty Images]}

Thompson added that progress has been made since the ICEC was established, including the ECB funding the expansion of the ACE Programme for young black cricketers, increased provision of cricket in state schools, and an increase in female and ethnically diverse representation in governance across cricket.  

But while "green shoots are emerging", Thompson said the ECB will use the next three months to explore the 44 recommendations of the ICEC report, some of which are "achievable under the current framework" while others will require "fundamental, longer-term changes".  

The report has called for a full and considered response from the governing body in that timeframe. 

ECB deputy chief executive Clare Connor will lead this process, with the support of members of the board, including Baroness Zahida Manzoor, Sir Ron Kalifa, Ebony Rainford-Brent, ECB chief executive Richard Gould and Thompson.  

In a statement, Thompson said: "On behalf of the ECB and wider leadership of the game, I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don't belong.  

"Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case. Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and Black people were neglected. We are truly sorry for this. 

"This report makes clear that historic structures and systems have failed to prevent discrimination and highlights the pain and exclusion this has caused. I am determined that this wake-up call for cricket in England and Wales should not be wasted.  

"We will use this moment to demonstrate that it is a game for all and we have a duty to put this right for current and future generations. 

^{ECB chair Richard Thompson [Getty Images]}

"I would like to thank Cindy Butts, the commissioners and her wider team at the ICEC for their hard work, commitment and focus in bringing these issues to our attention. I also want to acknowledge the courage of those who have shared their experiences with them, whilst recognising there will be many more who felt unable to give their accounts. 

"As recommended by the ICEC, we will use the next three months to work with the whole game to build a plan of action which we will then publish. My absolute commitment is for cricket to strive to be the most inclusive sport in England and Wales." 

Gould added that this is a "once in a generation opportunity" to change the game for the better. 

"The ECB has recently been working to lay the foundations of change, but today's report makes it clear that the sport, including the ECB as governing body, needs to go further and faster in our efforts," he said.  

"Making cricket more inclusive and reflective of the communities it serves is my number one priority. This cannot and will not be a quick fix. We are committed to taking the time to work with everyone in the sport, and especially with leaders of cricket's clubs and institutions, to put in place reforms that are wide-ranging, long-term and meaningful.  

"We should view this as a once in a generation opportunity to restore trust in the game we love. 

"It is welcome to see the report's assessment that there are green shoots of progress, and of significant improvements in the approach towards these issues since 2018, but this must only serve to strengthen our determination to go further and address the issues which remain." 

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