Cricket can no longer turn a blind eye to racial inequality - Chris Waters

The issue of racism is gaining increasing profile.

Inspired by movements such as Black Lives Matter, there is growing conversation around this subject.

It is desperately sad that it takes the murder of a black man in police custody in Mineappolis to fan the flames of collective outrage but, if the death of George Floyd has done anything, it is to raise awareness of one of the oldest enemies of our species.

In cricket, as in life, the zeitgeist is seemingly starting to change.

Barely a month seems to go by without some sort of racial allegations to hit the game.

During the summer, Michael Carberry, the former England batsman, alleged that racism is rife within cricket, while former England Under-19 captain Azeem Rafiq has accused Yorkshire, his former county, of institutional racism, which is presently the subject of an ongoing independent investigation.

Glamorgan have been similarly indicted by Mohsin Arif, another former player, and now two ex-umpires, the former Yorkshire wicketkeeper Ismail Dawood and John Holder, the old Hampshire pace bowler who played for Slaithwaite in the Huddersfield League, have levelled the same charges at the England and Wales Cricket Board, citing the lack of non-white match officials in the English game.

In a joint statement, Dawood and Holder said that they want the Equality and Human Rights Commission to investigate the governing body, which has admitted in response that “today’s group of professional umpires don’t reflect the diverse ECB we are determined to be”.

Throw into this powerful melting pot evocative contributions on racism recently from former players Michael Holding and Ebony Rainford-Brent, who have spoken movingly and eloquently about their experiences, and more and more are seemingly having the confidence and courage to speak out, whether that be to allege racist language used in and around the game and/or to highlight general prejudice and restricted opportunities due to skin colour/background.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of each individual case/situation, it is blindingly obvious that cricket cannot simply close its eyes and ears to this issue in a world in which there are fewer hiding places for perpetrators.

Thanks to the advent of social media, for example, a clip of a “policeman” kneeling on a black man’s neck – while the victim pleads that he cannot breathe – can go viral in an instant, the stark realities beamed on to our smartphones and into our living rooms.

It is blindingly obvious, too, that there has been a domino effect triggered by Floyd’s murder; indeed, Rafiq – without prejudicing the findings of that particular investigation, its content and its motivation – has publicly stated that he was “inspired and encouraged by the Black Lives Matter movement”.

A conversation has started within the game that is unlikely – and nor should it – to quieten any time soon as we wait to see what might – heaven forfend – be the next grisly accusation to come out.

Listening to the various testimonies adduced, and simply by living in a world of such palpable inequality and injustice, it is clear that there is no smoke without fire when it comes to racism in the cricketing world.

Racism goes on everywhere and it would be naive to think that cricket is immune from its grip.

At the same time, this is not a cricketing problem so much as a societal one.

To suggest otherwise would be like saying that gender inequality is a problem specific to a particular field of life as opposed to a problem inherent within life itself.

As Michael Holding has sagely observed: “I know people keep on talking about what’s going on in different games. I don’t concentrate too much on that. I think more about society.

“Because it’s society that needs fixing, not the individual sports. If society never changes it doesn’t matter what sport does.

“All sport can do is help show the way, it can’t solve the problem.”

As ever, there are no winners when it comes to the subject of racism.

One feels anger and sorrow for those who have experienced it, just as one feels sympathy with, and empathy for, the many good people who work in organisations which, rightly or wrongly, are accused of it and who abhor it as much as those at the receiving end.

This issue can no longer be conveniently swept under the carpet with the words: “Nothing to see here.”

At the same time, there are grounds for optimism.

Not only have eloquent voices advanced the conversation and general awareness, there is increasing pressure on organisations to ensure that their houses are in order.

Words such as “diversity” and “inclusion” are the watchwords of our time, and this accountability will only continue.

We will never completely eradicate racism, just as we will never completely eradicate the scourges of poverty and war.

Utopia is almost certainly unachievable; but a fairer society is possible and cricket can be a leading force for good.

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