How do we make cricket representative and fair? What happens at your school?

[Placido]

Just that really. I am sat listening to Azeem Rafiq talk to MP's in horror. I have a DD who loves cricket and am glad that she was born when she was, not thirty years ago when it would hardly have been encouraged for girls and she might have been teased for enjoying a 'boys' sport. But if sounds like the game of cricket is still not accepting people of colour without commenting/discrimination based on their ethnicity, how can that be in 2021 with such talented players? The All Stars program seems to have done good things for grass roots, but is this still a sport that favours white middle class children who attend private schools? Interested to know people's experiences with this sport in their DC's schools.

No cricket played at my girls’ grammar!

@Howshouldibehave That is a shame! My DD's comp plays cricket and rounders in the summer terms and we also have a great club BUT girls start to drop out from the club at about 13 and then it seems to revert to just boys playing - maybe the boys becoming strong then as they thicken out and that scares the girls, I know that I coach at a hockey club and this is the age we split them in to separate training.

No cricket at all in our children's primary or secondary school, although there are clubs locally that have a very active youth section. No idea how inclusive it is though - not a sport that appeals to our two.

No cricket to speak of at DC's schools.

Excellent club nearby though. Children play in mixed teams up to u15s, with girls playing up to 2 years below the age band to even things out.

Also 8+ girls' only training and an 11+ girls' only team.

Also a couple of womens' teams.

All play in local tournaments where teams have women from a range of ethnic backgrounds.

No private or grammar schools around here whatsoever.

I think sex and class are much more divisive than race TBH.

@DraigFach Azeem has just broached this as you were typing. He says there is a bit of PHD research that has been ignored by the ECB that talks about how much more likely white males who go to private schools are to play for England. This seems crazy when there must be SO much talent in the state schools, how can we field the best sports teams for our country if we are not giving 93% of children the opportunity that the 7% have. Imagine how good we could be if we invested in all children.

@VerveClique Sounds like you live in a great area to have girls and people of colour involved in cricket.

I think we have some really dedicated coaches which is what is making the difference here. Cricket is very much a minority sport in these parts!

My kids play Quik Cricket, the coaches are funded by the national lottery. If they're any good they go through the school to the local club. Cricket has always been inclusive. It just depends where you are.

Tennis and squash on the other hand...

No girls cricket played at my DD's state school. Just crappy rounders that she hates, don't blame her either.

Aren't Private School pupils over represented in the majority if sports? Better facilities, parents having more money for clubs etc?

My DDs did the Dynamos programme last year.it was 50:50 on boys vs girls. However this is 8-12 year ilds without much experience of the game, the 'property teams had more boys. Team covers several Nottinghamshire/Yorkshire villages.

@idontlikealdi Imagine how good we could be at tennis as a nation if all children had the opportunity that some schools offer. We get upset that we don't get that many top class players compared to other nations, and yet we have a two tier system of sport from a young age that means that many children with talent aren't even picked up. @megletthesecond I quite liked rounders at school but I know I would have loved cricket too! My dd is very lucky to have both at her comp but don't think it is the norm. Why can't it be the norm. It really should be.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves Yes they are over represented but not necessarily the most talented. Imagine living in a country where access to sport was equal so the most talented not the most privileged represented us as a nation. But also - sport is really about having fun, and why shouldn't all children have access to this fun.

Our DD (16) is a county player and has been since she was 11. Her squads have always been made up of girls from many different backgrounds and many of the best players are non white and are hugely respected. I don't see any racism at all. However, I would say that pretty much all the players, of whichever ethnicity, had keen parents who signed them up for a club at an early age. They didn't learn at school.

@Coroico97 well done to your daughter that is amazing. And so reassuring to hear that the racism that still exists at adult level isn’t being mirrored amongst children, gives me hope for the future. Also good to know that the private school model isn’t the only way for players to excel and that they can progress through clubs. How much does it cost to do the country cricket stuff? I know the cost of the hockey country development camps are expensive which makes it really hard for some families.

The cost is actually okay in general (although kit is expensive). If you progress onto a more senior pathway much of the coaching is free. There are Club memberships to pay for as well of course. I think being able to be around as a taxi during the season is very difficult though. We work from home and can juggle our hours to make it work - sometimes she may have matches or training two or maybe three days a week. And cricket matches last for hours of course and can be miles away so each is a day off. This is the part that I think can be impossible for many families.

I was interested to listen to the section in the testimony today about how the ECB is promoting diversity at grassroots - but the problem is at the higher level due to the racism, and that racism is ignored/tolerated/supported.

The testimony was brutal I thought. To hear Azeem Rafiq speak so bluntly about the things that were said to him was shocking, and yet not at all surprising.

I am sick of the racism in the UK. It was absolutely shaming.

And so reassuring to hear that the racism that still exists at adult level isn’t being mirrored amongst children, gives me hope for the future this is false reassurance IMO, unless that type of racism is properly rooted out. It won't just fade away.

My son is part of a cricket academy within a state school, they have to travel miles to play against other schools as not many have a cricket team. Most of the teams they play against are private schools and the gulf in ability is huge despite everyone on his team playing for trams outside of school as well. The facilities the private schools have (their own cricket pitches for one) man it just can't be a level playing field.

My DS (now 20) loves cricket but none was played at his primary school. He joined a local club and was put forward for county selection ... he played at county level for a few years but he was one of the very few from a comprehensive school. Definitely played more & encouraged at private schools. His school did play some cricket he was team captain when they won the league but most of his coaching was from the local club. He has continued to play at Uni and now on his 'sandwich year' in industry ... it's a great way to have a social life & meet new people but many of his school friends gave it up ... a few girls played in the same teams.

I have become unexpectedly interested in cricket myself now!

Coroico you are right about the taxi service needed, we live quite rurally and the games could be miles away ... fortunately our DS is an 'only' child so we weren't having to juggle different hobbies and we had the time (& money) to taxi our DS around ... not an easy option for many people. Cricket games take forever as well .... not to mention helping to provide the teas .

Both my sons play county, club and school cricket. Honestly I'd say all the cricket teams they've played in, and against, have very good diversity.

Girls cricket is also being invested in; our county has a great programme for the girls. At club level, the girls are allowed to play two years "down" to encourage them to play in teams with the boys.

Rugby and, to some extent, hockey have far less diversity in my opinion.

Ds played for a few years at the local village club. He's a middle class white boy and state school educated. There was a gradual narrowing of other categories each season - the girls disappeared, the boys who didn't have kit disappeared, the boys who weren't playing cricket twice a week at private school disappeared.

Fact is that I think a lot of the club liked it that way. Things change when enough people want them to change.

I’m another one with a DD playing at county level. Her team racial profile matches our London area, as does her club team. But you do need parents who are able to buy the kit and taxi you to matches.

To add, my kids go to a private school but I think the single biggest differentiator in cricket is whether kids have a parent that plays or knows enough about cricket to coach them one on one.

No matter how many sessions school/club/county programmes put on, the kids that succeed spend a lot of time practising in the nets with a parent or family friend. Cricket is a very technical sport.

Both my sons play county, club and school cricket. Honestly I'd say all the cricket teams they've played in, and against, have very good diversity.

Yes, this is exactly what was said today. tokenistic diversity efforts at the grassroots, overt racism at the county clubs

Perhaps diversity at grassroots level is not the be all and end all, it is overt racism that needs to be tackled.