The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pledged to fight the plight of racism to change things for better in the future in cricket. Since the outbreak of anti-racism protests in recent weeks, several cricketers – Darren Sammy, Chris Gayle and James Anderson among others – have thrown light into the existence of racism in cricket.

“We have listened carefully to those who have spoken out in recent weeks about their experiences of being black in cricket, sport and society. We admire them for being vocal on this crucial topic. We know that systemic racism spans institutions and sectors across the country and we know that our sport is not immune,” ECB said in a media statement.

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“We truly believe that cricket is a game for everyone but understand that sadly, barriers to its enjoyment exist for many communities. We have made progress in bringing cricket to more and more people around the country and it is our resolve to break down barriers and reform our structures everywhere across the game.”

The board further said that they will engage “community leaders and black influencers within cricket” to evolve their “existing inclusion and diversity work and specifically address the issues raised by the black community”.

“It’s so important that we continue to listen to the voices of those who have spoken out.” read the release. “We must educate ourselves, face uncomfortable truths, in order to create action internally and throughout the game to ensure long-term change.”

“From there, it is our overall desire to create demonstrable action, in order to deliver meaningful and long-term change that permeates every layer of the game,” it added.

The talks about racism in cricket have grown louder in the wake of massive anti-racism protests in several parts of the world after the killing of a black civilian George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States of America, last month.

Floyd, aged 46, was choked to death by officer Derek Chauvin. He held Floyd down with a knee on his neck though he repeatedly pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” and “please, I can’t breathe”.