Our chief executive Tim Hollingsworth has issued a statement in response to the ongoing issues at Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC).
The statement reads: “The England and Wales Cricket Board's recent statement signals their intent to deal with the profound and structural issues at YCCC – highlighted by the club’s handling of this situation.
“It is also important that they follow the due process of their investigation into the racism suffered by Azeem Rafiq with equally swift and robust action.
“This situation demonstrates a significant challenge to all of us in sport. The provision of safe, inclusive and welcoming places for people to take part in sport, at any level, is essential. It is therefore a key requirement for any organisation in receipt of public funding to demonstrate effective governance.
“As we are with all sports, we are currently in discussions with cricket about their next cycle of funding from Sport England. The issues of inclusion, diversity and good governance will form a significant part of those discussions – including how we can help them as a national body make sure that the strong focus on these issues in our Code for Sports Governance can be effectively cascaded down into regional and county structures.
“It is not enough for any individual or organisation in sport just to say they stand against racism and discrimination; it’s about action, people and purpose to create the changes needed so no individual or community feels excluded. It’s important to remember that at the heart of this situation there are individuals who have been victimised.
“Inclusion is a fundamental value for Sport England and will continue to inform our decision-making as we implement our strategy, to create greater opportunities for everyone to take part in sport and physical activity.”