Essex fined £100,000 by cricket discipline commission for ‘systemic’ racism

Essex County Cricket Club has been fined £100,000 – with half suspended for two years – by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) after admitting to the “systemic use” of racist language at the club between 2001 and 2010, which they “failed to address”.

.Katharine Newton KC’s independent investigation, which was commissioned by Essex three years ago, revealed that derogatory terms such as “curry muncher” were used to describe players of South Asian heritage. In one instance, a cricketer was nicknamed “bomber” following the 9/11 attacks. The report further described a Black cricketer being taunted when another player offered him bananas in a “manner which was unequivocally racist”. Additionally, a trialist sharing accommodation with the cricketer threw a banana down the stairs and told him to “go fetch it, you fucking monkey”.

Although the players involved were not named in the final report or the CDC’s decision, it is understood that Zoheb Sharif, Jahid Ahmed, and Maurice Chambers were among those who suffered abuse while playing for Essex in the 2000s. These cricketers publicly shared their experiences in late 2021, following Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about the racism he encountered while playing for Yorkshire.

Essex admitted to the charge in June, violating the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) directive which states: “No such person may conduct himself in a manner or do any act or omission which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”

However, the club has avoided a points deduction for future competitions, as the misconduct occurred between 2001 and 2010. The CDC only gained the authority to impose points penalties from 2020 onwards, applicable to misconduct occurring in or after that year.

In 2022, Essex received a £50,000 fine – £15,000 of which was suspended for two years – after accepting charges related to the use of racist language by then-chairman John Farragher in a 2017 board meeting, and the club’s failure to adequately investigate the incident.

For comparison, Yorkshire were fined £400,000 and docked 48 points in the County Championship last year for their mishandling of the Rafiq case and failing to address racism at the club.

In its ruling, the CDC noted that Yorkshire’s case “should not be regarded as some form of precedent straitjacket for this panel”, but emphasised that Essex’s admitted breaches were “extremely serious” and warranted an immediate financial penalty.

Essex’s current chairman, Anu Mohindru, expressed remorse, saying, “There is deep regret for what occurred in the past, but these events do not reflect the Essex Cricket of today. We have made significant progress in achieving these aims through our outreach work and creating a workplace that values and respects every individual. Essex Cricket will continue to move forward as the best open, inclusive, and diverse organisation we can possibly be.”

Richard Gould, ECB chief executive, also commented: “Racism has no place in our sport. I’m appalled by what those who experienced racism at Essex went through, and the fact this behaviour became normalised. As a sport, we must listen, learn from their experiences, and ensure no one suffers like that again.”

Gould acknowledged the steps Essex have taken in recent years, saying, “I welcome the action Essex has taken to address these issues and their commitment to becoming a more inclusive club, as well as making further progress.”