Late last year, the ECB launched a 12-point plan to tackle discrimination in cricket after former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about abuse he suffered while playing for the county.
Michael Carberry in action for England in 2013
Former England international Michael Carberry will lead a Kick It Out project to identify and address the challenges facing underrepresented groups in cricket.
Carberry, who has spoken in the past about the difficulties facing those who speak out against racism in sport, has been named director of Kick It Out’s new project.
He will work alongside project manager Tom Brown, who has done extensive research on identifying and recruiting talent in the sport and helped establish the South Asian Cricket Academy alongside Kabir Ali, who is now an assistant coach at Yorkshire.
Kick It Out announced an exploratory partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board in January, with the ECB and Kick It Out partner Sky Sports each putting up £100,000 to fund it.
Two months earlier, the ECB had launched a 12-point game-wide plan to tackle discrimination in the sport, which followed former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq providing harrowing testimony of the abuse he suffered during two spells in the county.
The ECB’s investigation into Rafiq’s allegations and Yorkshire’s handling of his case has yet to be released, and is expected to be released this month.
Kick It Out Chief Executive Tony Burnett said: “We are delighted to have Michael and Tom on board to help shape our work with the ECB to drive inclusion and fairness in cricket.
“The level of experience, expertise and insight they bring to the table will be invaluable as we seek to understand and overcome some of the challenges the sport presents for participants from underrepresented groups. I look forward to working alongside them both.”
The ECB also commissioned a separate review, the Independent Cricket Fairness Commission (ICEC), in March last year.
It is collecting evidence from those involved in the sport at all levels and will publish its findings in the fall.
Kate Miller, ECB Director of Diversity and Communications, said: “With Kick It Out’s experience and knowledge, we want to build on the work already being done in cricket to tackle discrimination and make our sport more welcoming and friendly. inclusive”.
“We look forward to working with Michael and Tom through this partnership.”
