LONDON: The head of English cricket said on Tuesday the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has forced the game to face some uncomfortable truths as the country’s governing body announced initiatives, including the use of the Rooney Rule, to increase diversity at every level of the game.

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wants the Rooney Rule, which was first implemented in the NFL and requires that at least one person from a minority is interviewed for each position advertised, to be adopted for coaching positions throughout the game.

The moves were announced shortly after England’s stand-in Test captain Ben Stokes said players would show a gesture of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, though he stopped short of saying players would take a knee.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said the plans were a first step towards ensuring cricket was more open and diverse.

“Alongside most of society, we have had to confront some uncomfortable truths in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement,” Harrison said.

“We have listened, and will continue to listen carefully, to the experiences of Black people in cricket and society, and we thank those who worked tirelessly and spoke bravely to open up conversations about the change our sport needs to create.

“We have made strong strides in many areas to become a more inclusive and diverse sport, but we realise there is a great deal more to do.”

The ECB said it would work to increase the ethnic diversity of its own board, as well as leadership structures throughout the game, saying the aim would be to have at least 30 percent women and a BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) target guided by the make-up of their local population as quickly as possible.

A new coaching grant will be introduced for future Black coaches, while an increased cricket provision for primary schools will be focused on ethnically diverse areas to create more opportunities.

A recent study by Leeds Beckett University found that there were only nine Black players competing in English county cricket last season, down from 33 in 1995 — a statistic former England skipper Michael Atherton said was ‘not good enough’.

The ECB has proposed a game-wide anti-discrimination charter and code for players, coaches, fans, media and clubs as well as increased opportunities for BAME individuals to play and coach.

Only two of the 118 managers or coaches employed by counties last season were Black, according to a Daily Telegraph report.

As part of the measures being brought in, a new coaching bursary will be introduced for future Black coaches while the provision of cricket for primary schools in ethnically diverse inner-city areas will be increased.

The ECB said it would also work with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) and Black influencers to better understand the experiences of current and past players.

The ECB said its new measures would extend its existing Inclusion & Diversity action plan and build on initiatives aimed at women’s and girls cricket and the South Asian community.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2020