ESSEX ARE FINED £100,000 FOR SYSTEMIC RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION OVER A NINE-YEAR PERIOD AFTER INVESTIGATION BY ENGLISH CRICKET'S NEW REGULATOR

Essex have admitted to a charge of racism after the new regulator's probe
It is claimed racism and discrimination was systemic between 2001 and 2010
The county cricket club were charged in June and have been hit with a big fine

Essex have been fined £100,000 after admitting to a charge of racism across a nine-year span, English cricket's new regulator announced on Wednesday.

It is claimed racism and discriminatory language and conduct was systemic at the club between 2001 and 2010 and that Essex failed to address it.

After breaching ECB Directive 3.3, Essex have also been cautioned and reprimanded. The panel said it was unable to apply sporting sanctions such as points deductions.

An independent panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission was formed to hear the case, consisting of Nigel Popplewell, now the chair of the Disciplinary Panel, Professor Seema Patel and Mark Milliken-Smith KC.

Essex were charged in June after a probe undertaken by the regulator, a body fronted by interim director Dave Lewis and responsible for monitoring compliance with the sport's rules. It operates independently from the rest of the ECB.

Half of the fine, totalling £50,000, has been suspended for a period of two years and Essex have until October 2 to appeal the verdict.

Last December, a report by Katharine Newton KC unearthed evidence that ethnic, racial and religious comments were considered banter between 2001-2010.

It focused on the testimony of three unnamed players - known to be Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif - and referenced how players of Asian heritage were referred to as 'curry munchers'. One was called 'Bomber' after the 9/11 attacks.

Black players were also taunted with bananas, it was alleged.

Essex chairman Anu Mohindru KC said the club welcomed the publishing of the report and described it as an 'important step in trying to rectify the past mistakes'.

'It is evident from Ms Newton's findings that there have been some fundamental errors in the past, which don't reflect the Essex of today,' Mr Mohindru added.

'Significant progress has been made across the club to build a workplace that values and respects every individual, regardless of their background, identity, and beliefs.'

Mr Mohindru also said he has met with the victims to apologise on the club's behalf.

In July 2023, the Cricket Discipline Commission charged Yorkshire over their handling of discrimination allegations by their former player Azeem Rafiq and a failure to address systemic racism over a period between 2004 and 2021.

The club were charged £400,000 and hit with a 48-point deduction for the County Championship and a four-point reduction for the T20 Vitality Blast.

2024-09-18T16:08:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd