'They have work to do' - Gloucestershire cricket president Syd Lawrence on damning racism report
Watch our interview with former England bowler Syd Lawrence
Former England bowler Syd Lawrence - the only black county cricket club president in the UK - has told ITV News the organisations in the sport have "a lot of work to do" to eradicate racism.
Mr Lawrence said he wasn't surprised by the results of the independent report, which found racism, sexism, classism and elitism were "widespread" in English and Welsh cricket.
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) delivered its findings on Tuesday after a two-year investigation.
It made 44 recommendations, including that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) makes an unreserved public apology for its failings.
The depth of the problems are laid bare over more than 300 pages in a paper which casts a grim shadow over preparations for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s – a venue known as the home of cricket but one that is also symbolic of the game’s relationship with privilege.
Mr Lawrence, Gloucestershire County Cricket's president, told ITV News West Country there needed to be "big change" in the sport to rid it of the issues it faces.
“It’s not a report that I’m surprised by, there’s nothing in there that surprises me," he said.
“Nobody can tell me that the ECB, this report has come out the blue for them. They’ve known what has been going on for many, many years and they’ve done nothing about it.
“You look at the Yorkshire saga, well, reports were made to Yorkshire ten years before that, and they’ve done nothing about it.
“So, for me, the ECB, as far as I’m concerned, is not a strong organisation. The people running it, that needs to change. I love the game of cricket, it’s a great game.
“What you want is that it’s an equal playing field for everybody and it’s welcoming for everybody.
“Just because you come from a state school, you shouldn’t be disadvantaged to somebody who goes to a private school. And we see that too many times.
“We also need an equal playing field for girls and boys."
On the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), Mr Lawrence said that it has a lot of work to do.
"I mean it’s still an elitist sport," he said.
“I just think that for so many years, cricket could do so much more and like I say, it’s timethat you know players in dressing rooms look around.
"I think everybody needs to sit around a table and really start from the beginning. Change everything and people in prominent positions need to say okay we need to open it up to everybody.”
England captain Ben Stokes said he felt "deeply sorry" for victims of cricket discrimination.
“To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences,” he said.
“Cricket is a game that needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts because without diversity, this game would not be where it is at today.
"As a sport, we need to learn from past mistakes and do all we can to make people feel safe and be themselves at every level.
“I have been an England player since 2011 and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of some incredibly diverse teams and love how everyone has a different story to tell.
"We must go further and be more inclusive and diverse because the game I love – and millions worldwide love – should be enjoyed without fear of discrimination or judgement whether that be due to your upbringing, race or gender.
“I am Ben Stokes; born in New Zealand, a state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at 16 with one GCSE in PE.
"I needed help with the spelling and grammar in this speech and I am currently sitting here as the England men’s Test captain.
"It is clear there is so much more the game has to do and as players we really want to be a part of that to ensure this is truly a sport for everyone.”
In the report, ICEC’s chair Cindy Butts concluded: “The stark reality is cricket is not a game for everyone.”
As the game still processes the damaging fallout from the Yorkshire racism scandal, prompted by the revelations of former player Azeem Rafiq, the England and Wales cricket board chairman Richard Thompson has made an unreserved apology to those who have suffered under cricket’s systemic failings.
Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said: “It is an existential issue for the sport. This report is a seminal moment for us.
“It helps us to fully understand the scope of the issues within the game, it allows us to understand the apologies that we quite rightly make to those people that suffered discrimination.
“We are determined to be able to act on this report and deliver on its intent in the coming months.”
The official spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a cricket fan, who welcomed members of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad to Downing Street earlier this year – said: “The report today makes for difficult reading and the Prime Minister believes that sport must be open to everyone.
“There is no place for racism, discrimination, bullying or harassment in sport nor indeed in wider society.
“I understand ministers are speaking to the ECB to discuss the findings further. ”