A new independent report has created a stir now, claiming, that several cricketers who played for English county Essex were subject to racial abuse. The report by barrister Katharine Newton suggests that references to players’ ethnic, racial and religious origins were “entirely normalised and tolerated behavior” within the dressing-room, between the mid-1990s and 2013.
Meanwhile, the investigation only started in 2021, after three former Essex players Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers, and Zoheb Sharif spoke about it. The report said, “Those at the receiving end of this treatment were too scared to speak up for fear of damaging their prospects of selection and progression.
“In any event, there were no effective mechanisms for raising such concerns.” Newton further revealed that one of the players was nicknamed ‘bomber’, after the 9/11 attacks in the USA. ‘Curry muncher’ was also a commonly used term for players from South Asian backgrounds. Essex was also fined £50,000 ($62,600) and reprimanded after admitting two charges.
Newton added that a detailed report, including the names of the culprits, was sent to the club. “However, these individuals are also being investigated by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and the club will need to assess whether publication of the report could prejudice the ECB’s parallel investigation, which remains ongoing,” she wrote.
On the other hand, Essex brought out a statement saying, “All victims involved throughout the investigation have received an apology from the club. Their courageous actions to report incidents of discrimination during their time at Essex has been pivotal in getting to this stage.”
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