Essex hit with heavy fine after found guilty of racist allegations by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).
Essex have been found guilty on allegations of systemic racism in the county by the CDC. This comes on the back of an independent report that came out in December 2023. The report stated one of them was nicknamed “Bomber” due to his South Asian heritage, and another taunted with bananas for being Black.
The club was charged with a breach of ECB Directive 3.3 during the years 2001 to 2010, for “conduct, acts or omissions which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute”.
The penalty is identical to that imposed on Essex in May 2022, when the team was hit with a £50,000 fine following allegations that former club chair John Faragher used the racist epithet “n****r in the woodpile” at a board meeting in 2017—the very incident that led to the Newton report’s commission.
The CDC panel, which included Mark Milliken-Smith KC, Professor Seema Patel, and chair Nigel Popplewell, stated that it was unable to impose sporting sanctions like point deductions, which is what Essex was given last week after it was discovered that their opening batter, Feroz Khushi, had used an illegal bat in their first County Championship match of the current season.
Essex, who have also been reprimanded, have until October 2 to appeal.
Dave Lewis, Interim Director of the Cricket Regulator, said: “The racism experienced at Essex County Cricket Club over a period of many years was abhorrent, and the evidence of those subjected to abuse was deeply disturbing. They have shown real bravery in speaking out, and I hope that this prosecution will help ensure that no one suffers again as they did, and that racism of this kind is never normalised.
“The sanctions announced against the club today by a panel of the independent Cricket Discipline Commission come at the end of a long and complex investigation by the Cricket Regulator and follow the club’s own investigation which resulted in it sanctioning several individuals. The CDC panel took into account the fact that Essex had pleaded guilty to the charge and has already taken significant action to address these issues and become a more inclusive club.