Essex fined £50,000 – £15,000 suspended for two years, following a racist remark made at a board meeting in 2017; warned as to further conduct and reprimanded; warning: this article contains a reference to racist language that some may consider triggering
Essex has been fined after pleading guilty to two counts in relation to a racist comment made at a board meeting in 2017
Essex was fined after pleading guilty to two counts in connection with an alleged racist comment made by former chairman John Faragher at a board meeting in 2017.
The Cricket Disciplinary Commission has hit the Chelmsford club with a £50,000 fine, with £15,000 of that suspended for two years.
Essex’s charge relates to Faragher’s alleged use of the terminology “n***** in the woodpile” and the club’s failure to conduct any further investigation.
Essex was also warned about his subsequent conduct and reprimanded, with the CDC panel finding that the club “failed to meet the standards expected of it”.
A point deduction was deemed inappropriate with the comment made by a non-playing staff member off the pitch.
Faragher resigned from his position in November 2021 following the indictment.
He has denied making the comment, but the CDC panel’s written report stated that Essex “nevertheless admitted its use in response to this charge.”
The club has been found to be in breach of ECB directive 3.3, which states:
“No participant may conduct himself in a manner or perform any act or omission at any time which is likely to be detrimental to the interests of cricket or which is likely to bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”
The CDC panel said Essex chief executive John Stephenson had done “everything in his power” to take action but was “thwarted” by the club’s board, which had been “crippled by division internal”.
Reacting to the CDC decision, Essex said: “The club has a zero tolerance policy towards racism and any form of discrimination.
“We continue to work with the ECB to eradicate discrimination from the game, including implementing its 12-point action plan and the club’s further commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and processes.”
The ECB published its action plan in November following Azeem Rafiq’s testimony to MPs about the abuse he suffered in Yorkshire.
Speaking at the time, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: “The last few weeks have been very, very tough for cricket. It feels like we’ve been hit by an earthquake.”
“The most damning part of Azeem’s testimony is that he didn’t want his son to be a part of the game. That is, for someone in my job, the hardest thing you can hear.”
