Class, Ethnicity & Gender in Cricket: what is to be done?
The ECB which runs cricket in England and Wales published its response to the recent ICEC report on Monday.
The report had looked in detail at some of the issues that cricket has from Governance to its over reliance on public school educated (whether by sponsorship or otherwise) cricketers,
In so far as The Hundred has been successful it has been the women’s game that is responsible with high quality, engaging cricket drawing ever larger crowds. However the ECB still won’t fully commit to equal pay across the women’s domestic game by 2030. It claims that the funding for this-by which it means broadcast rights- is not yet there.
It has admitted that promoting cricket in State schools is something that will require more than just the ECB, the Government will need to be involved too. Rishi Sunak is a cricket fan but is probably not too focused on State school cricket.
Yet if the biggest interest and talent for future cricket is to be drawn in- often from Asian and Black communities this work needs to be done, now. Otherwise the talent pool will continue to be ex-public schoolboys. There are some great cricketers but look around the world to see other cricket playing countries casting the net much wider.
The ECB have washed their hands of Eton v Harrow at Lords (until at least 2027) saying it’s a matter for the Home of Cricket.
Even with these important qualifications there are lots of fine words and intentions in the ECB response. What will happen? There is mention of an annual report.
As a trade union officer in the private sector I’m used to the fine words of large employers (often sincerely meant)and they do sit well in the annual report. What a union does here is to check regularly that things are actually happening at the grassroots and that change is happening. And if it isn’t its called out until it does.
I’d like to think the PCA might do that but I’m very far from sure. I certainly would not rely on the ECB to do it.
Anyway if you want to read something that looks at the crisis in English cricket far better than I ever will be able to do, read Duncan Stone’s Different Class (Repeater Books)
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