The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) was set up in March 2021 by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Our mission on the ICEC is to independently evaluate the state of equity in cricket and to examine people’s experiences within the game, so that we can develop recommendations to help cricket become a genuinely equitable and inclusive sport. Our Terms of Reference focus particularly on issues relating to race, gender and class.

This is a critical time for cricket. Rightly the spotlight is firmly on racism and other forms of inequity within the game. Former players have bravely come forward to publicly share their experiences, and there are serious concerns about how cricketing institutions have been responding.

This must be a wake-up call – change is desperately and urgently needed.

To properly understand these issues, it is critical that the ICEC spends time listening to, and receiving evidence from, those involved in cricket, at all levels, past and present. The first stage of that listening process involved the online survey that we conducted in November and December 2021, which resulted in more than 4,000 responses. 

The second stage of our listening process was our open Call for Written Evidence, which ran from 10th March to 20th April 2022. In this, we asked questions about the talent pathway and progression into professional cricket, culture within the sport, good practice, complaints and discipline (discrimination-related), and governance and leadership. 

We have also been receiving oral evidence directly from key stakeholders, conducting wide-ranging research into developments and trends in the game, and gathering information from cricketing organisations. All of this will inform our final report, due for publication in Autumn this year. 

The ECB has committed to giving serious consideration to the ICEC’s findings and publishing a formal response to our report. This will set out whether they have accepted the ICEC’s recommendations, and will detail the actions they plan to take in response.

We very much appreciate the time that people have taken to provide evidence, in particular responding to both the survey and the Call for Written Evidence. Hearing about people’s experiences will help us to develop our recommendations to create real and positive change in cricket. Thank you for your support.

Cindy Butts – Chair of the ICEC

Zafar Ansari – Commissioner

Sir Brendan Barber – Commissioner

Dr Michael Collins – Commissioner

Michelle Moore – Commissioner

April 2022