Essex County Cricket Club faces fines of £100,000, of which half are subject to a two-year suspension, after being found guilty of systematic racism. The Club has been found guilty by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) of long-standing racism and discrimination.
In December 2023, Katherine Newton KC conducted an independent investigation and included three former players as witnesses. Due to his South Asian ancestry, one of the previous players went by the nickname “bomber,” and he was called “Banana” slang for being Black.
“In our sport, racism is not tolerated. The experiences of those who encountered racism at Essex horrify me, as does the possibility that such behavior could spread to other schools. As a sport, we must pay attention to their stories, take lessons from them, and make sure that someone never has to endure such suffering. ECB Chief Executive Officer Richard Gould said, “I applaud Essex’s recent efforts to address these issues and become a more inclusive club, as well as its commitment to making further progress.”
Essex County Cricket Club welcomes independent report: Anu Mohindru
The most recent action is a result of Club being found culpable for violating ECB Directive 3.3 between 2001 and 2010. The ECB Directive 3.3 prohibits “conduct, acts or omissions which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute” .
Anu Mohindru KC, the chair of the Essex County Cricket Club, stated, “The club welcomes the publication of the independent report and it is an important step in trying to rectify the past mistakes, but most importantly creating a brighter future for everyone associated with our club.”
Racism experienced at Essex for many years was abhorren: Dave Lewis
It was previously claimed that in 2017, John Faragher said something like “n****r in the woodpile” during the board meeting. Afterwards, the Club was charged, and Essex was hit with a £50,000 fine. It was this specific incidence that led to the Newton report’s commissioning. Essex has until October 2 to raise a defence in relation to the most recent charges.
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“The testimony of people who were abused was extremely upsetting, and the prejudice that was practiced at Essex County Cricket Club over a long period of time was disgusting. Dave Lewis, the interim director of the Cricket Regulator, stated, “They have shown real bravery in speaking out, and I hope that this prosecution will help ensure that no one suffers again as they did and that racism of this kind is never normalized.”
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