Essex fined £100,000 after admitting racism charges

WARNING: This article contains descriptions of racism and different violative and discriminatory connection and behaviour.

Essex person been fined £100,000 aft admitting charges relating to nan "systemic" usage of racist connection aliases behaviour astatine nan nine betwixt 2001 and 2010.

The nine were charged by nan Cricket Regulator successful June, having been alleged to person brought nan crippled into "disrepute".

It came aft a number of erstwhile players made allegations successful 2021, prompting a study to beryllium ordered by Essex which recovered "a number of erstwhile players were victims of "racist maltreatment and discriminatory treatment".

Essex admitted nan complaint connected 10 June.

They person now been fined £100,000, £50,000 of which is suspended for 2 years, and warned astir their early behaviour by nan Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).

In its reasons for nan sanctions nan CDC sheet said nan "systemic usage of racist and discriminatory connection suggests a civilization that was embedded crossed nan club".

It added: "Such connection aliases behaviour was utilized regularly, openly and seemingly without fearfulness of criticism.

"No 1 astatine immoderate level wrong nan nine sought to situation aliases extremity its use.

"It is plain that nan problem was a systemic one, and is suggestive of superior guidance failures towards nan attraction of a number of ECCC's taste number players."

Essex are nan 2nd region cricket nine successful England to beryllium punished pursuing racism allegations successful nan past 2 years.

Yorkshire were docked 48 points successful nan County Championship, 4 successful nan T20 Blast and fined £400,000 - £300,000 of which was suspended - for their handling of nan Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.

Because Essex's charges were, dissimilar Yorkshire's, each related to allegations anterior to 2020 nan sheet did not person nan powerfulness to enforce points deductions.

In consequence to nan sanctions Essex chair Anu Mohindru said "there is heavy regret for what occurred successful nan past, but these events do not bespeak nan Essex of today".

"We stay afloat committed to moving towards affirmative and lasting change," added Mohindru, who became chair successful October 2023.

"This is simply a work we return seriously, and we will proceed to prosecute pinch each those affected, our organization and stakeholders to guarantee that nan advancement already made successful caller years is upheld and further strengthened."

Interim head of nan Cricket Regulator Dave Lewis described nan racism knowledgeable astatine Essex arsenic "abhorrent" and said nan grounds was "deeply disturbing".

"I dream that this prosecution will thief guarantee that nary 1 suffers again arsenic they did, and that racism of this benignant is ne'er normalised," he said.

"The CDC sheet took into relationship nan truth that Essex had pleaded blameworthy to nan complaint and has already taken important action to reside these issues and go a much inclusive club."

England and Wales Cricket Board main executive Richard Gould welcomed "the action Essex has taken successful caller years to reside these issues".

Gould said nan ECB will "shortly update" connected nan advancement made successful nan action scheme group out pursuing nan Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket (ICEC) study past year, which recovered discrimination was "widespread" successful cricket successful England and Wales.

Essex began an investigation successful 2021 pursuing respective allegations, including complaints by erstwhile players Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif.

They said retired pursuing nan racism ungraded astatine Yorkshire.

Essex commissioned their ain enquiry into nan issues, culminating successful a study by Katharine Newton KC, published successful December, which concluded that a number of nan club's erstwhile players were victims of racist maltreatment and discriminatory treatment.

Afterwards a committee was group up astatine Essex to see imaginable sanctions against individuals arsenic a consequence of nan report.

Among different things nan study recovered a subordinate was referred to arsenic "bomber" by immoderate team-mates pursuing nan 9/11 attacks connected nan United States and different subordinate was offered bananas by a team-mate successful a "manner that was unequivocally racist".

The investigation besides recovered a erstwhile president utilized racist connection during a 2017 committee meeting.

Essex were fined £50,000 by nan ECB successful 2022 aft admitting 2 charges relating to that gathering - but though John Faragher, who is besides not named successful nan report, resigned arsenic president nan erstwhile year, he denied utilizing racist language.

In June chief executive John Stephenson said Essex will ne'er publically name erstwhile players and unit members allegedly progressive successful racist behaviour.