The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket has released its long-awaited report into discrimination within the game in England and Wales. Within it, the ICEC panel make 44 recommendations for the sport in this country
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket has released its long-awaited report into discrimination within the game in England and Wales.
Within it, the ICEC panel make 44 recommendations for the sport in this country.
They are as follows...
1 - The ECB should make "an unqualified public apology for its own failings and those of the game it governs"
The report's authors say the governing body should acknowledge the existence of racism, sexism, elitism and class-based discrimination, and recognise its impact. They also call for an apology for a historic failure to support women's and girls' cricket and black cricketers.
2 - A 'State of Equity in Cricket' report should be published every three years
The ICEC report suggests their report should just be the initial benchmark as part of an ongoing process to evaluate the game.
3 - The ECB should, within 12 months, publish a set of cultural values to guide all individuals participating in all cricket under its jurisdiction.
The ICEC commissioners say these guidelines "should form the basis of a game-wide values and behaviours framework which is explicit about the culture the game aspires to build and the behaviours it expects and rejects".
4 - The ECB should commit to regular 'culture health checks'
A facility should also be put in place which allows those who take part in cricket in England and Wales to submit testimony about their experiences.
5 - The ECB should, within six months, commit to racial literacy training for its executive and board, and the executives of the first-class counties, women's regional teams and the MCC
This training should be regularly updated and refreshed, the report says, "to build competency in leading EDI in cricket".
6 - The ECB should commit to being an anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-classist organisation
The report says the governing body should encourage all cricket organisations within its ecosystem to do likewise.
7 - The ECB should adopt a clear and consistent strategic approach to issues of EDI
The report is scathing about commercial or PR issues subsuming or being the driving force for EDI initiatives. It stresses the ECB commercial and PR imperatives should not dictate EDI progress. It calls for clear and present acceptance of and admission to discrimination where it occurs. And it demands that the onus is not on those from minority backgrounds to identify discrimination.
8 - The ECB should substantially increase funding for EDI initiatives, particularly at recreational and talent pathway level
9 - The ECB should comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty where possible
PSED is a duty on public authorities to consider or think about how their policies or decisions affect people who are protected under the Equality Act.
10 - Within the next six months, the ECB should appoint a chief equity, diversity and inclusion officer - at board level.
The report calls for this individual to have a "singular focus on EDI".
11 - Within the next 12 months, the ECB commits to an investigation into the decline in participation in cricket among the black community
The report also calls for an action plan to reinvigorate participation in that demographic, increased central funding for the ACE Programme, financial support for "black-led" grassroots clubs, and a commitment to a project similar to the South Asian Action Plan.
12 - Within 12 months, the ECB should commit to an in-depth examination of the class barriers that exist in cricket
The report calls for the ECB to develop a specific action plan to remove these barriers.
13 - The ECB should introduce gender-based budgeting into their next business cycle
"Spending and investment decisions can have very different impacts on women and men, because of different starting points, needs and priorities," the report reads.
"The analysis conducted to inform decision-making should adopt an intersectional approach that considers race, class and gender."
14 - The ECB should "at pace" increase the levels of investment in the core infrastructure and operations of the women's and girls' game
15 - An overhaul of women's pay, so that by 2029 men's and women's domestic cricketers are paid equally, and internationally by 2030
Equality in working conditions should be levelled immediately, the report says, while the means by which salaries are identified should be standardised across genders.
The "pay" mentioned in the report relates to average pay.
Rookie contracts should be introduced for the women's regional structure by 2024, the report says, while The Hundred should pay its male and female players equally by 2025.
16 - Equal representation for the women's regional teams within the ECB governance structure
The report says the eight regions should each hold a vote within the ECB membership, in line with the first-class counties, county boards and the MCC.
17 - The ECB's articles of association should be amended within six months to highlight its responsibilities in relation to EDI
"It should be a fundamental 'objective' for the ECB to promote and deliver EDI in professional and recreational cricket," the report says.
It also calls for references to "upholding spirit and tradition" of the game to be updated with an emphasis on EDI, and calls for the scrapping of the annual reappointment of directors.
18 - The annual fixtures between Eton and Harrow, and Oxford and Cambridge should no longer take place at Lord's from 2024
ICEC proposes schools and universities competitions' finals take the matches place at Lord's instead.
19 - The ECB should place a greater emphasis on EDI when allocating, suspending, cancelling and reinstating high-profile matches
"There is clear evidence that being allocated such matches, or having the right to host them withdrawn, is a powerful tool to encourage compliance," the report says.
The report suggests making EDI compliance a "gateway criterion" for the award of major matches.
20 - The County Partnership Agreement, County Governance Framework, and Regional Host Agreements should have stronger and firmer EDI commitments when they are next updated
The report calls for formal and specific ethnicity targets for each first-class county and county board, reflective of their respective county's demographics, as well as financial incentives for counties which meet their targets.
21 - There should be sanctions for counties which fail to reach EDI targets within the next County Partnership Agreement
22 - An independent regulatory body should be established within the next 12 months
The report is damning on the potential conflicts of interest that appear from the ECB being both promoter and regulator of cricket in England and Wales.
"The new body should be in a subsidiary company with its own ring-fenced budget, and its own legal counsel and investigatory staff," the report says. Those involved in the regulatory body should have "specific experience of investigating discrimination complaints".
23 - There should be a single set of regulations and non-regulatory standards across the cricket administered by the ECB
24 - The definition of "regulatory matters" should be updated
The report calls for only matters relating to discipline and integrity to fall under the "regulatory" sub-head. ICEC proposes the Cricket Discipline Commission to continue to be the body that hears cases relating to regulatory affairs.
25 - Redefine "non-regulatory matters" as all other rules and standards
The new regulatory body should be in charge of investigating breaches of EDI directives, in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest between the ECB as promoter and its commercial objectives.
26 - All ECB operational and strategic decisions should be made once consideration has been made for the impact of those decisions from an EDI perspective
27 - An improvement of the ECB's executive management's diversity within two years
The report calls for "demonstrable progress" in this timeframe, as well as the establishment of "longer-term targets".
28 - The ECB should report annually on EDI complaints
ICEC say counties should be required to report key information about complaints to the ECB. The commission also calls for a best-practice complaints procedure to be conceived and implemented across the network.
29 - A game-wide volunteer strategy relating to EDI should be established
"The strategy should make clear how volunteers will be trained and supported to develop their EDI knowledge and skills, including specific training on discrimination and sexual harassment," the report says.
30 - The ECB should make available centralised training relating to EDI complaints to all cricket clubs, leagues and organisations
31 - Leading figures of cricket clubs, leagues and organisations should be accountable for failures to uphold "high standards of behaviour"
The report calls for "mandatory reporting obligations" for officials.
32 - Changes to the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC)
The report says anyone working in the professional game should fall under the jurisdiction of the CDC, while sanctioning powers of the commission should be strengthened.
CDC panels in matters relating to EDI must have specific experience, the ICEC commissioners say, while panel members should be paid and administrative expenses reimbursed.
Chairs of the CDC should be appointed by the ECB using expert external recruitment, while the CDC chair should appoint panel members using the same process.
None should serve more than two four-year terms.
33 - The ECB's anti-discrimination code should be updated
Socio-economic status should also be taken into account, the report says, while the code should "explicitly cover victimisation and make clear that it would be grounds for disciplinary action".
The ICEC panel call for greater clarity in how charges are made, by whom and the criteria against which they are decided. They call for consistency in the complaints-handling process, and clear and accessible guidance on best practice following the receipt of a complaint.
34 - The introduction of an informal complaints submission process
Suggestions from the panel include mediation and "Freedom To Speak Up Guardians", who support those who otherwise may not report issues relating to discrimination.
35 - An overhaul of the schools' talent pathway to ensure more meritocratic selection
The report is damning on the influence of a select group of private schools in the cricket pathway in England and Wales.
ICEC calls for a State Schools Action Plan within 12 months, including the reallocation of central funding below under-14 level to "level the playing field".
The report proposes that the State Schools Action Plan become enforceable by introducing it into the County Partnership Agreement.
36 - Children from low socio-economic backgrounds and those at state schools should be able to enter talent pathways without charge
The report is damning on the costs associated with entering talent pathways at a young age, and the impact it has on drop-out rates among those from certain sectors of society.
ICEC says these changes need to be implemented in time for the 2024-25 winter training pathway.
37 - The ECB and counties should proactively broaden where they source talent from
Among the sub-criteria proposed by ICEC are the scrapping of schools' nominations and the introduction of widescale open trials, scouts being sent into state schools and local clubs, the increased recognition of non-traditional cricket formats as a potential talent pool, and considerable funding increases for free, year-round cricket provision in deprived areas.
38 - The introduction, by 2025, of accessible county and national-level T20 competitions for state school boys' and girls' cricket teams at under-14 and under-15 level
39 - A more robust and systematic approach for talent identification by the counties
The report is damning about the inherent bias within the talent ID sector of the pathway. It calls for a "charter of best practice" to be established. It calls for conflicts of interest among selectors to be declared and for those who have privately coached young players to be barred from selection decisions.
ICEC want bias training introduced for all decision-makers on the pathway, and for selection decisions to be supported by documentary evidence.
Furthermore, the report says, an appeals process should be established for those who feel selections have been discriminatory.
40 - Selection for inter-county representative cricket should not begin before under-14 level
41 - County age-group coaches should be tasked with taking cricket into state schools between under-10 and under-13 levels
Additionally, the report calls for increased ECB funding for Chance To Shine in state secondary schools. It also says counties should encourage local clubs to make facilities available for schoolchildren.
42 - The ECB and wider game should develop a system to regularly collate and monitor EDI data with respect to entry into and progression through the talent pathway
43 - Recommendations to government
The report calls for UK government to collect and monitor data on cricket participation in state schools, require and resource "significantly higher" levels of cricket in state schools, and work with private schools to gift a minimum number of free coaching hours to local state school pupils.
44 - A detailed response from the ECB to the ICEC report within three months
Within this point, ICEC say the ECB should establish a fully independent steering group to monitor the governing body's work, within six months. That group should publish a follow-up report in 2025, the report says. The report also calls for the ECB to provide regular updates on EDI progress to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee.
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