Essex charged by ECB with bringing game into disrepute

John Faragher last year resigned as Essex chairman following a claim he used racist language in 2017.

Essex have been charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board with bringing the game into disrepute in relation to an alleged racist comment made at a board meeting five years ago.

The charge also relates to the county’s subsequent failure to conduct an appropriate, or any, investigation into the alleged incident.

John Faragher last year resigned as Essex chairman following allegations he used racist language in the 2017 meeting.

John Faragher stepped down as Essex chairman in 2021 (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive)

Faragher stepped down despite strongly denying the incident.

A panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission will now hear the case and adjudicate.

“Essex County Cricket Club has today received two disciplinary charges from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding alleged comments made at a meeting in 2017,” read a statement from the county.

“These are not new allegations but are the next formal part of the ECB process regarding issues that were raised by the ECB in October 2021.

We have co-operated fully with the ECB’s investigations since they commenced last year and will continue to do so as the process moves to this next stage.

Essex

“The club takes this matter extremely seriously.

“We have co-operated fully with the ECB’s investigations since they commenced last year and will continue to do so as the process moves to this next stage.”

The club have been charged with a breach of ECB directive 3.3.

It reads: “No participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”