Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has held talks with the ECB over this week’s damning report into discrimination in cricket and insisted it must be used as a chance to reset the sport.
Tuesday saw the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report ‘Holding Up A Mirror To Cricket’ released, with its conclusion that the sport was entrenched in racism, women were routinely exposed to sexism and elitism was still rife in the game.
The Prime Minister, a cricket fan who welcomed members of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad to Downing Street earlier this year, was at Lord’s on day four of the second Ashes Test and reacted to the report during an appearance on BBC’s Test Match Special programme.
“For people who love cricket, it was obviously really hard to read,” the Prime Minister said.
“You are just sad that the sport I love, so many people love, for it to be described like that and with all these issues brought to light, it is just sad. That was my first reaction to it.
“Then I spent a little bit of the morning talking to the team at the ECB and I think they have approached it in exactly the right way.
“You have to remember it was the ECB who commissioned this report. No one asked them to. They did it off their own back because they really wanted to be proactive in addressing the concerns people have raised.
“I think they deserve credit for that and they are going about it exactly the right way.
“They have offered an unreserved apology and from conversations I’ve had with their team, they are absolutely committed into fixing all the problems for this to be a reset moment for cricket.
“All of us who love this game want it to be inclusive, open, accessible to everybody, to welcome people from all backgrounds and a place where everyone can feel respect and supported as they’re playing it.
“That’s what we all want and I am confident in the leadership of the cricketing family more broadly, not just the ECB, that they share that ambition, so that’s where we need to get to.”
During the Prime Minister’s visit to the home of cricket, he presented ex-England captain Sir Andrew Strauss with his Point of Light award for his work with the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which has raised more than £500,000 during this Test.
The topic of conversation turned to England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style under Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, following criticism of the hosts’ decision to take on Australia’s short-pitched ploy in their first innings.
The Prime Minister added: “It is possible to play Bazball but there are periods in games where you need to recognise the situation.
“I agree with others about probably waiting that situation out, but that doesn’t mean you are throwing Bazball out of the window.
“But I’m not going to sit here and second-guess these guys. They have provided us with the most extraordinary year of cricket.”
Asalanka leads Sri Lanka to ODI series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series against the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in Pallekele.
The hosts successfully chased down their opponents' total of 189, giving them an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka controlled the early powerplay - Asitha Fernando (3-35) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25) took two wickets apiece to leave the tourists at 31-4 in the ninth over.
Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) then claimed three of his four wickets as Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh and Alzarri Joseph were all dismissed in the space of 14 balls.
However, Sherfane Rutherford (80 off 82 balls) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) steadied the ship to take the Windies from 58-8 to 189.
Although Joseph claimed Avishka Fernando (9) in the fourth over, Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama both chipped in with contributions of 38 to get the hosts to 112-4.
Skipper Charith Asalanka (62 not out) led the charge thereon, while Kamindu Mendis (11) comfortably got them over the line with 34 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Rutherford-Motie historic stand proves academic for tourists
West Indies were looking to level the series, but their hopes were not aided by Sri Lanka's impressive bowling.
Rutherford and Motie did their best. Their partnership brought 119 runs, which is their nation's highest ninth-wicket stand in ODI history, breaking the previous record of 85 between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph.
However, it ultimately proved in vain as the hosts secured the series with a game to spare.
'I was a tired, grumpy old man' - Stokes apologised to England team-mates after Pakistan defeat
Ben Stokes says he apologised to his England team-mates after his frustrations were evident during the second-Test defeat by Pakistan.
The hosts levelled the three-Test series on Thursday after wrapping up a 152-run win in Multan.
However, it could have been a different story but for fielding errors at crucial stages for the visitors, Jamie Smith and Joe Root notably dropping catches to dismiss Salman Agha, whose subsequent knock of 63 helped Pakistan seal victory with a day to spare.
Stokes, who returned to action following a hamstring injury, could not hide his frustration during a difficult day for England, but insisted he would not let his emotions get the better of him again.
"No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are in these subcontinent conditions, they don't come along that often," he told Sky Sports.
"I actually apologised to the group last night. It's the first time in my captaincy that I've let my emotions and how I was feeling with the way the game was unfolding show in my body language.
"I owned up to that and was very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It's something that I don't want to do or be seen to be doing, so I apologised to the group about that.
"Poor old me, I was a tired, grumpy old man last night! You won't see that happen again."
However, England coach Brendon McCullum defended the actions of his skipper.
"We all know how passionate Ben is, how much it means for him to play for England," he said.
"We've seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe and to have his first TM [Test match] in extreme conditions, 40 degrees, and be able to give what he gave to the side.
"I think, maybe, that's where some of that frustration led to - certainly, it wasn't directed at any of the players. It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game, and to impact on it."
Sri Lanka breeze to series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka cruised to a nine-wicket victory over West Indies to seal a T20I series triumph.
With the series delicately poised at 1-1 heading into the final match on Thursday, Sri Lanka started with intent in Dambulla.
Maheesh Theekshana (2-19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-24) led the charge as Sri Lanka skittled through the Windies' top order.
Rovman Powell's stubborn 37 and a contribution of 32 from Gudakesh Motie steered West Indies to a reasonable total of 162-8, but it was one well within reach of Sri Lanka.
Pathum Nissanka clipped seven fours and one six in a 22-ball 37 to get Sri Lanka's chase rolling at pace, before he was bowled by Gudakesh Mottie (1-31).
Yet the damage was mostly done, with Kusal Mendis powering his way to an unbeaten 68 and Kusal Perera plundering 55 from 36 balls to get the job done with the minimum of fuss.
Data Debrief: Perera closing in on Sri Lanka record
Perera is now just nine runs away from surpassing Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,889) as the leading scorer in Sri Lanka's T20I history.
His efforts, combined with those of Nissanka and Mendis, saw Sri Lanka win for a fourth time in their last six T20Is at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, although this is the first time they have won at the venue in that run when batting second.
The Windies' miserable record in Asia has continued, meanwhile. They have won only one of their last 11 T20Is in Asia (L10), with that victory coming in the first match of this series. They have now lost 33 T20Is on the continent in total, with only Ireland (35) having lost more.
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