Compulsory specialist training in EDI for all professional cricket staff

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 20 September, 2023

AS PART of a multi-year £5 million investment to satisfy the demands of a report into discrimination in cricket, all professional cricket personnel will get diversity training, as stated by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The ECB provided a brief overview of its plans at a meeting of county chief executives and other stakeholders to address the 44 recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which was published in June and found that “structural and institutional racism, sexism, and class-based discrimination continue to exist across the game”.

In a document obtained by Telegraph Sport, the ECB stated their strategy for implementing the suggestions of “training for the development of racial literacy” and “building competency in leading equality, diversity, and inclusion”.

It will make compulsory “specialist training via Inclusive Employers, who deliver our Inclusive Leadership programme” starting in April or May of next year and continuing until 2028.

Before disclosing its intentions to the general public on 25 September, the ECB will provide more information to the counties on Friday (22).

This will provide time to prepare for an appearance before the government’s DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) committee on 31 October.

Clare Connor, the ECB’s deputy chief executive, has spent months leading the effort to address the ICEC’s objectives, one of which asked for substantial EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) training throughout the industry.

Since players already receive EDI training sessions, this will involve all English cricket executives and board members.

The ECB pledged to “continue delivering education through 2024–28”, with an estimated cost of close to £5 million when factoring in the recent pay rise for England’s female players.

The ECB promised to reply to the ICEC findings by the end of this month and extended an unreserved apology to individuals in June, “who have faced discrimination in cricket”.

Although it comes at a time when the game’s resources are already strained thin, the ECB, not the counties, will be responsible for covering the EDI expenses.

The 44 ICEC suggestions won’t all be carried out by the ECB. It feels that not all fall under its purview, such as state school funding, which needs substantial government assistance.