"All the stories that Azeem Rafiq talks about, that all happened to me. All the abuse, the isolation, the hatred. [Teammates] poured alcohol on me. They threw bacon sandwiches at me. I have lived with all that and never spoke to anyone about it." These were the words of a former professional cricket player who shared his experience with the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).

It's one of many examples of the lived experience of those who have played the sport, quoted in a damaging ICEC report on discrimination in cricket, which has finally been published after some long delays. 

The report does not make for light reading - with examples of racism, sexism and elitism at the heart of the commission's findings.

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) set up the ICEC in 2021 to look at issues of diversity, inclusion and equity following a racism scandal after Pakistan-born English bowler Azeem Rafiq went public with allegations of racism and bullying in September 2020, related to his two spells at Yorkshire county cricket club in England.

Discrimination found throughout cricket

"It's been frustrating at times with the delays, but it was very important for them to get this right and I'm just very thankful that they've listened to people," Rafiq, who is now based in Dubai, told CGTN.

"This report has shown us that the game is broken. Now we need to literally build it back up right and properly this time."

Of the more than 4,000 individuals interviewed for the ICEC report, 50 percent described experiencing discrimination in the previous five years.

Among women and people from black and South Asian communities, those who attended state schools, LGBTQ+ people, and disabled people, the figure is much higher still, rising to 87 percent for people of Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent.

Rafiq pointed out "these are big numbers."

The report found that lived experiences of discrimination are widespread in cricket and, in many cases, shocking. They are not limited to one geographical area or aspect of the sport, nor found only in the professional or recreational game - they are found throughout cricket.

"The size of your wallet determines if your children progress or not, which is a clear indication that it's not a sport for everyone but for a privileged few," a parent of a county age group player told the commission.

It's a concern that the ECB has acknowledged.

"We know we have lost a generation of black cricketers to our sport. We accept that the ECB could have done more historically to own that challenge and come up with a comprehensive program sooner," said the ECB.

'Not banter or a few bad apples'

It also found that women were often treated as "second-class citizens," stating that not enough had been done to address class barriers, with private schools dominating the pathway into cricket.

Rafiq said he was "shocked to find out that England women have not played a test match at Lord's," the cricket ground in North London seen as the home of cricket.

"[I have been] told: A lady cannot be a good umpire. I should go back home. Get off the field. Women's cricket is sh*t. Women can't make decisions. Women shouldn't even umpire," according to a statement in the report, left unattributed to protect confidentiality.

"Our findings are unequivocal," said ICEC chair Cindy Butts. "Racism, class-based discrimination, elitism and sexism are widespread and deep-rooted.

"The game must face up to the fact that it's not banter or just a few bad apples. Discrimination is both overt and baked into the structures and processes within cricket."

"This is not just about racism; as importantly, our work on gender and class also starkly highlights deeply rooted and widespread forms of structural and institutional sexism and class-based discrimination across the game," added Butts.

'Old boys' networks'

It found that private school and 'old boys' networks' and cliques permeate the game to the exclusion of many. The percentage of male England players who were privately educated was 57 percent in 2012, and was similar at 58 percent in 2021 - significantly higher than the 7 percent figure among the general population. 

The report takes a 'game-wide' approach to optimize the opportunity for achieving systemic change. A total of 44 recommendations have been made, including a call for equal pay for male and female international players by 2030.

A key recommendation of the commission is that the ECB makes an unqualified public apology for its own failings and those of the game it governs. The apology should acknowledge that racism, sexism, elitism and class-based discrimination have existed, and still exist, in the game, and recognize the impact on victims of discrimination, it adds. 

ECB chairman Richard Thompson said the organization would "use this moment to reset cricket."

"On behalf of the ECB and wider leadership of the game, I apologize unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don't belong," he said.

"Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case. Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and black people were neglected. We are truly sorry for this."

The way forward

Rafiq said he feels uncomfortable about giving ECB "praise for apologizing," because there is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring about change but acknowledging and saying sorry is a step in the right direction.

He added that discrimination is in the game from grassroots right to the top. "And there's a bit of a denial, an attempt to downplay people's experience and that's really upsetting and sad."

The former cricketer is keen for the ECB to come up with a strategy to ensure that cricket becomes a place for everyone.

Rafiq said they will need to find the finances to resource the change in strategy, which "will show how much willingness there is." He added that ECB's regulatory powers must be taken away because "the regulator and promoter cannot be the same."

And he insists it should not be limited to ticking the box of representation because "it provides protection for the system. I would just want good human beings who understand, who are going to listen. "

But Rafiq went on to acknowledge that representation is important for kids because "you can't be what you can't see."

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