Essex County Cricket Club fined £100,000 for systemic racism
Essex County Cricket Club have been hit with a £100,000 fine by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC). The sanction was imposed after the club was found guilty of systemic and longstanding racism as well as discrimination. Half of this fine (£50,000) has been suspended for two years. The disciplinary action follows an independent report released in December 2023 that highlighted incidents of racial abuse within the club.
Report reveals racial abuse incidents
The independent report by Katherine Newton KC was based on accounts from three former players who faced racial abuse at Essex. One player was offensively nicknamed "Bomber" because of his South Asian heritage, while another was mocked with bananas due to being Black. As a result of these incidents, the club was charged with violating ECB Directive 3.3 for conduct damaging to cricket's reputation or that of its players.
Essex's history of racial misconduct and penalties
This is not the first time Essex have faced disciplinary action for racial misconduct. In May 2022, the club was fined £50,000 after former club chairman John Faragher was accused of using a racist phrase during a board meeting in 2017. This incident led to the commissioning of the Newton report. The CDC panel, chaired by Nigel Popplewell, Professor Seema Patel, and Mark Milliken-Smith KC, stated that it could not impose sporting sanctions like points deductions in this case.
Cricket regulator and ECB CEO condemn racism
Dave Lewis, Interim Director of the Cricket Regulator, condemned the racism at Essex County Cricket Club as "abhorrent" and praised those who spoke out against it. He expressed hope that this prosecution would help prevent future incidents of racism in cricket. Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, echoed these sentiments stating that "racism has no place in our sport." He also acknowledged the need for continued efforts to make cricket more inclusive.
Essex County Cricket Club's response to racism allegations
Anu Mohindru KC, Chair of Essex County Cricket Club, welcomed the independent report as an important step toward rectifying past mistakes and creating a better future for the club. He acknowledged that significant progress has been made within the club to foster a workplace that respects all individuals regardless of their background or beliefs. Mohindru also met with the victims to apologize on behalf of the club and discuss ongoing efforts to address these issues.
Essex's performance in this season's County cricket
Essex are third in the County Championship Division One with 179 points. Out of their 13 matches, Essex have won six, lost three, and drawn four of these matches. Their wins came against teams like Nottinghamshire (won by 254 runs, won by an innings and 83 runs), Lancashire (by an innings and 124 runs), Warwickshire (by four wickets, by an innings and 40 runs), Kent (by an innings and 96 runs). They face Surrey next on September 26, 2024.
