After high-profile cricketers made damning claims about discrimination in the game, the England and Wales Cricket Board established an Independent Commission to assess the state of equity.    

Versiti led the Call for Evidence into Lived Experiences of Discrimination. We gathered more than 4,100 submissions documenting recent experiences of discrimination from parents of young players, current and former professional players, officials, coaches, volunteers and ECB leaders.  

We found that racism, sexism and class-based elitism are endemic in cricket. Stories of lived experiences were so powerful, detailed and consistent that they became incontrovertible. This was neither a few ‘bad apples’ nor ‘just banter’. The report also revealed that leaders in cricket, by and large, underestimate the scale of the problem.

The landmark report - with 144 recommendations by the ICEC - received global coverage and prompted a root and branch review to make inclusion and equity core to governance, strategy and operations at all levels of the game.

A year on, significant progress had been made, most notably:

• A restructured talent pathway to reduce barriers to entry.

• A new governance structure and independent regulator.

• An additional £2m for partners to widen access to cricket in state schools and among ethnically diverse communities.

• Equalised match fees for England Men and Women, increases in women’s pay in The Hundred and equal representation in the game’s governance structures - and investment well over forecast revenues.

• Investment of over £3.5m on facilities projects to meet diverse needs.

• A set of game-wide values to drive culture change.

• An Inclusive Leadership Programme that reached more than 300 leaders.

• Equality Impact Assessments as part of the ECB’s Business Planning.

• Published action plans for Ethnically Diverse Communities, Volunteers, State Schools and the Talent Pathway.