Be curious and change the inequality in cricket

Stuart Cope | June 29, 2023

It's a dark day for cricket and tough reading the ICEC review. I've been sat on my thoughts about inequality within cricket for a long time and simply been too scared to post. However today seems the right time, so here I go, please be kind.

15 years ago whilst studying in Leeds I wrote a dissertation, its question was "Does your ethnicity effect your development, progression and selection at Yorkshire CCC".

At Uni, I worked for Yorkshire CCC, I managed the cricket centre at Headingley a few times a week, coached various county age group teams and worked within local schools. I played in the Bradford League and Airedale and Wharfedale league, where I conversed with all stakeholders from grassroots to the higher echelons of the game. My experience of the sport then was that it polarized people, there was a complete lack of empathy and understanding of different cultures and their struggles.

It was a bold ask to write a dissertation regarding my employers but in all fairness to Yorkshire CCC they opened the doors to interview all key stakeholders from the CEO, players, coaches, ex-players and club cricketers.

My findings were pretty vanilla, I was only 21 years old and didn't ask strong enough questions to the staff but there was a constant theme of frustration, a 'them versus us culture'. One narrative was around the low volume of South Asian players progressing within the county, nobody could pin-point why so many failed in their playing journey. My dissertation failed to rationalise why this was happening and what were the barriers. A failure on my behalf!

We need to be honest with each other about why the sport is in the position it is. It's not realistic to expect the ECB on its own to change racial and sexual inequality within cricket. That change comes down to everyone involved within the sport, at all levels, yes you and me reading this post.

When I play cricket and look out onto the field and still see all 'white' and all 'South Asian' teams it fills me with sheer disappointment. Why isn't their more integration within our beautiful game, why is it taking so long to integrate cultures together?

How can we solve this problem faster? What small things can we do as a collective to make a real difference?

• Do local cricket clubs really engage with their local community, approaching local mosques and temples? I guarantee an abundance of avid players up and down the country ready to play.
• Does your club have a toxic drinking culture? If so, could this put off new players?
• If a new player comes down to training are they made welcome? Does every player introduce themselves? Does the club follow up when they have left? In my experience most clubs do this poorly!
• If a family or new player can't afford equipment, does your club have equipment they can use without feeling awkward?

Don't be cautious, be curious, have conversations with players from all cultures, smile and try to meet others further than halfway. That's a good place to start.