Essex report upholds claims that ex-players suffered racist abuse

A series of historic allegations of racist abuse at Essex County Cricket Club have been confirmed by an independent report, including that a player was nicknamed “Bomber” because of his South Asian heritage, and that another was reportedly taunted with bananas because he was black.

The allegations were part of an independent investigation led by Katharine Newton KC, which was commissioned in November 2021 following the resignation of then-president John Faragher, who was accused of using the racist expression “n* ***r”. in the woodpile” at a board meeting in 2017. This accusation was also confirmed by the report, with Essex fined £50,000 by the ECB earlier this year after admitting two charges related to this meeting.

The findings were detailed in a 38-page report, published by Essex on Friday, which upholds the complaints of three former players as well as those made against Faragher, and lists 15 recommendations allowing the club to identify and, if necessary, address rectify his past actions.

Although no players were named in the report, the allegations mentioned in it were made by Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif, all of whom have since left the club. Their complaints covered a period from the mid-1990s to 2013, with the report concluding that club culture was one in which ethnic, racial and religious comments were considered “jokes”.

“Those who benefited from this treatment were too afraid to speak out, for fear of harming their prospects of selection and progression,” the report concludes.

Jahid, who was the first British-born cricketer of Bangladeshi descent to play county cricket, and Zoheb were both taunted with the insult “curry muncher”. Both men also faced religious discrimination due to their Muslim faith, including during a mandatory team meeting at a local pub during the holy month of Ramadan. One player was explicitly asked “Would you bomb us?”, following the discovery of two car bombs in central London.

At the same time, the report reveals that Chambers, a Jamaican-born fast bowler who grew up in east London, was targeted by an anonymous player who, as a judge at the club, offered him several times bananas in an “unequivocally racist” manner, including one occasion where he threw a banana down the stairs of their shared accommodation and told her to “go get it, you fucking monkey”.

Newton also noted that while many documented cases involved historical racism, such behavior was not limited to the past – with one witness reporting comments involving “stereotypical assumptions about relatives being Uber drivers or owners of convenience stores” in recent years.

Anu Mohindru KC, club president, said: “Essex County Cricket Club welcomes the publication of the independent report and it is an important step in attempting to rectify past mistakes, but more importantly in creating a future best for everyone associated with our club.

“It is clear from Ms Newton's findings that there have been fundamental errors in the past, which do not reflect the Essex of today. Significant progress has been made across the Club to build a a workplace that values ​​and respects every individual, regardless of their status, background, identity and beliefs. This extends to the fantastic community work carried out across the region and we understand our responsibility to our local communities as a county club which represents them.

“I personally met with the victims to apologize on behalf of the Club and explain to them the work carried out by the Board of Directors to produce the report. Following the recommendations of the independent committee, the Club is now handling the process regarding who may be subject to sanctions. The Club will deal with them promptly but fairly to those involved.

“I would like to thank everyone who took part in the investigation and congratulate those who spoke out against discrimination. We would also like to thank Katharine Newton KC who worked meticulously throughout the process.”

The report's recommendations include the introduction of mandatory EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) training for everyone valued or engaged by Essex, an anonymous reporting centre, an inclusive recruitment process and monitoring of online gaming opportunities. first team to ensure they are “fair”. based on merit and free from prejudice.