Racism & Institutional Racism in cricket: what is being done?
After a year when action on racism in cricket at the top has amounted to official statements and (sometimes) taking the knee (better than nothing but not a motor to change in itself)at last things are beginning to happen.
I pointed out in the Guardian on 8th November that the issue had been raised in the Commons in the Spring. Nothing is usually expected to come directly from Early Day Motions but they do signal issues that need to be addressed. They weren’t, until the last few days:
On 8 March 2021 a small number of MPs including Diane Abbott, John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn supported an early day motion in the Commons raising the issue of racism in domestic cricket and the lack of senior black and minority ethnic people at all levels of the game. Nothing was done, and Yorkshire CCC continued to cover up an investigation into racism at the club. That has now caused a reputational crisis for English cricket. What many anti-racist cricket fans, myself included, want to know, is what is actually going to be done about the matter beyond just words and gestures.
Azeem Rafiq appeared before a Commons Select Committee on 16th November and gave a disturbing testimony about racism and institutional in Yorkshire cricket, in the wider game and in the media.
Yorkshire cricket has a new Chair Lord Patel who has pledged to take action. Action however is the one thing that remains missing.
Azeem Rafiq was clearly on several things that should be done:
A whistleblowing hotline to allow players to call out racism
Accountability of senior figures where racist behaviour and incidents have taken place, and resignations where appropriate.
A focus on the ability of the Professional Cricketers Association, in effect the cricket trade union, to take up and grapple with issues of racism and institutional racism in the game.
Azeem Rafiq
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59304381
Essex chairman resigns
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59262824
Joe Root’s comments and reaction
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