Discrimination in cricket report to finally be published on Tuesday

A long-awaited report into discrimination in cricket will be published on Tuesday.

The findings of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) had initially been due for publication last autumn before being postponed until early this year.

The ICEC confirmed on Friday that the report would finally be posted on its website on June 27, the day before the start of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

It is also the same day as a sanctions hearing for Yorkshire related to the club’s handling of allegations of racism and bullying made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

ICEC chair Cindy Butts has previously promised the report would “put up a mirror” to the sport and confront the race, gender and class barriers which exist within it.

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson says he expects the report to be “challenging”.

The ICEC was announced in March 2021 by the ECB to evaluate the state of cricket. The commission opened an online survey in the winter of 2021 which Butts said “captured the lived experience of 4,125 people”.

She said last October that commissioners had met with over 70 individuals and organisations and collected over 550 documents from cricketing bodies and experts.

“We are absolutely certain we would not have developed our knowledge and understanding of what can be done to improve equity across the game without the tremendous contribution from the public, current and former players and cricketing organisations,” Butts said.

“As a commission we have been humbled by the level of courage demonstrated by so many who want to help the game to be equitable, diverse and inclusive.”