‘no Progress’: English County Cricket Clubs Criticised For Continued Lack Of Diversity

The 18 first-class counties person been criticised by nan England and Wales Cricket Board for failing to make immoderate advancement successful expanding nan taste and gender diverseness of their elder leadership.

The yearly State of Equity successful Cricket Report published connected Thursday, which was first commissioned successful nan aftermath of nan Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, shows that number taste and female practice among nan region chairs and main executives has declined since 2019 contempt repeated calls for alteration from nan ECB.

Yorkshire’s main executive, Sanjay Patel, who was antecedently main commercialized serviceman astatine nan ECB and managing head of The Hundred, is nan only region executive aliases chair from an ethnically divers inheritance retired of 36.

Sanjay Patel successful 2021. The Yorkshire main executive is nan only region chair aliases CEO from a divers inheritance retired of of 36. Photograph: Jordan Mansfield/ECB/Getty Images

Lisa Pursehouse was a longstanding main executive astatine Nottinghamshire, but near nan nine successful September, pinch Emma White hired by Leicestershire nan aforesaid month. Dame Sarah Storey was appointed interim chair of Lancashire successful August. The study notes that successful 2019 location were 2 female main executives and 1 female chair.

The publication of a State of Equity study was 1 of 44 recommendations made by nan Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket, which reported successful 2023 aft being group up by nan ECB pursuing Rafiq’s complaints astir experiencing racism astatine Yorkshire. Although utilizing ECB data, nan study has been moderated by nan equality, diverseness and inclusion advisor Sports Structures.

“There has been nary advancement successful nan gender diverseness successful Chair and CEO roles successful PCCs, and this is simply a cardinal attraction for nan coming years,” nan study states. “Ethnic diverseness crossed Chair and CEO positions successful cricket remains low, and interventions successful caller years person not yet led to improvements successful representation.”

The ECB has had much occurrence successful diversifying its activity than nan counties, pinch 42% of nan governing body’s committee female and 33% ethnically diverse.

The State of Equity Report besides notes that important advancement has been made successful broadening entree to region talent pathways, taking cricket into authorities schools and soul cities done accrued backing by nan ECB, and clamping down connected favoritism done nan creation of an independent Cricket Regulator.

The ECB chair, Richard Thompson, said his ambition is to make cricket nan astir inclusive squad athletics successful nan country, but acknowledged location is still activity to do.

“Becoming nan astir inclusive squad athletics was an ambition that main executive Richard Gould and I group for nan game, and I americium proud that it has been our North Star since it was first proposed,” Thompson said. “There are galore positives to bespeak on, but we besides recognise location is still overmuch much to do, and location are areas wherever advancement is much challenging.

“While I americium delighted to spot galore much women and ethnically divers group arsenic committee members crossed nan game, we request to attraction connected practice successful executive activity roles to guarantee they bespeak nan communities we serve.”