Follow UsAhead of the second Ashes Test at Lord's, starting from Wednesday (June 28), England captain Ben Stokes said he is "deeply sorry" to learn of the scale of discrimination in the sport after a damning report revealed "widespread" racism, sexism and classism in the game.
His comments followed the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board, publishing its much-anticipated report, Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket. The report put forth a total of 44 recommendations, including a call for equal pay for male and female international players by 2030.
According to the findings, the average salary for England women players is just over one-fifth of that for England men in white-ball cricket. Richard Thompson, chairman of the ECB, expressed the organization's commitment to resetting cricket in light of the report's conclusions.
Stokes too has now come forward and read the following statement in the pre-match press conference.
"Just before I go, I want to make it clear I have not read the report as it only came out last night.
"To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences. Cricket is a game that needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts because without diversity, this game would not where it is at today.
"As a sport, we need to learn from past mistakes and do all we can to make people feel safe and be themselves at every level. I have been an England player since 2011 and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of some incredibly diverse teams and love how everyone has a different story to tell.
"We must go further and be more inclusive and diverse because the game I love - and millions worldwide love - should be enjoyed without fear of discrimination or judgement whether that be due to your upbringing, race or gender.
"As I said earlier, everyone has a different story to tell. I am Ben Stokes, born in New Zealand, a state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at 16 with one GCSE in PE. I need help with the spelling and grammar in this speech and I am currently sitting here as the England men's Test captain.
"It is clear there is so much more the game has to do and as players we really want to be a part of that to ensure this is truly a sport for everyone."
(With inputs from AFP)