England captain Ben Stokes ‘deeply sorry’ for victims of cricket discrimination

Former England skipper Sir Andrew Strauss has called the ICEC report an “awakening” for cricket.

England captain Ben Stokes says cricket has much to improve on (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

England men’s captain Ben Stokes has issued an apology to those who have experienced discrimination in cricket and pledged to help deliver a level playing field regardless of “upbringing, race or gender”.

The long-awaited Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket published its findings on Tuesday, delivering a damning report that diagnosed entrenched racism, sexism and class barriers within a sport it branded “elitist and exclusionary”.

The depth of the problems are laid bare over more than 300 pages in a paper which casts a grim shadow over preparations for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s – a venue known as the home of cricket but one that is also symbolic of the game’s relationship with privilege.

Stokes in many ways represents the opposite of that. Born on the other side of the world and educated in a Cumbrian comprehensive school, his ascent to one of the most prestigious sporting offices in the country constitutes a breaking of the traditional ‘future England captain’ mould, a point he was clear to emphasise as he read a heartfelt and personally prepared statement.

But he started with a message to those whose stories had informed the ICEC report.

“To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences,” he said.

“Cricket is a game that needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts because without diversity, this game would not be where it is at today. As a sport, we need to learn from past mistakes and do all we can to make people feel safe and be themselves at every level.

“I have been an England player since 2011 and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of some incredibly diverse teams and love how everyone has a different story to tell. We must go further and be more inclusive and diverse because the game I love – and millions worldwide love – should be enjoyed without fear of discrimination or judgement whether that be due to your upbringing, race or gender.

“I am Ben Stokes; born in New Zealand, a state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at 16 with one GCSE in PE. I needed help with the spelling and grammar in this speech and I am currently sitting here as the England men’s Test captain. It is clear there is so much more the game has to do and as players we really want to be a part of that to ensure this is truly a sport for everyone.”

One of Stokes’ predecessors as England skipper, Sir Andrew Strauss, spoke of a “real time of awakening for the game of cricket” and urged those in power to offer more than “lip service” in response.

Strauss has spent much of his career in influential positions at the England and Wales Cricket Board, acting as both director of men’s cricket and strategic adviser to the board following retirement, but left the organisation earlier this year.

“You have to move forward as a sport. The clear takeaway is the game has to do better, has to move forward and not be defensive,” he said at an event for the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

“We have to make sure anyone who wants to play cricket feels included, welcomed and appreciated. If we get to that stage the game of cricket will be in a much healthier place.

“It’s an important moment for the game to embrace this, learn the lesson, don’t pay lip service to it and make sure what we see at the back end is actually change.”

The ECB issued an unreserved apology for the failings highlighted in the report and to the victims of discrimination in cricket, and will work over the next three months on a package of reforms based on the 44 recommendations within the report.

Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said: “It is an existential issue for the sport. This report is a seminal moment for us.

“It helps us to fully understand the scope of the issues within the game, it allows us to understand the apologies that we quite rightly make to those people that suffered discrimination.

“We are determined to be able to act on this report and deliver on its intent in the coming months.”

The official spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a cricket fan, who welcomed members of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad to Downing Street earlier this year – said: “The report today makes for difficult reading and the Prime Minister believes that sport must be open to everyone.

“There is no place for racism, discrimination, bullying or harassment in sport nor indeed in wider society.

“I understand ministers are speaking to the ECB to discuss the findings further. ”

The Professional Cricketers’ Association is committed to playing its part as the sport confronts its next steps with chief executive Rob Lynch saying: “Many of our members have been incredibly brave over recent years, detailing their experiences of discrimination within professional cricket environments.

“We welcome the recommendations on overhauling women players’ pay and working conditions. We have been lobbying the ECB to close the gap across domestic and international women’s cricket and the commissioners’ recommendations will further assist this goal.”

Earlier this year ‘Changing The Boundaries’, an independent report, uncovered 448 examples of institutional racism within the Scottish game.

Cricket Scotland said many findings in the ICC report “echo the issues faced by cricket in Scotland”.

“We are in no doubt that much work still needs to be done to change cricket to the point where it can be considered an inclusive sport that is free from racism and discrimination,” a statement read.