LONDON, JUNE 4: English county cricket team Essex face a possible points deduction and heavy fine after being charged with alleged "systemic" racist language and conduct over a nine-year period.
The charge, brought by the independent Cricket Regulator, has echoes of the racism row involving former Yorkshire bowler Azeem Rafiq that caused major repercussions throughout the English game.
"It is alleged by the Cricket Regulator that there was systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language and/or conduct at Essex, during the period between 2001 and 2010, which Essex failed to address," said a statement issued Monday.
"An independent panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) will hear the case in due course."
Essex said they had fully co-operated with the regulator and would "participate willingly" with the CDC, which will hear the case.
Unlike Yorkshire, who were widely criticised for their handling of the Rafiq case, Essex did appoint an independent senior lawyer, Katharine Newton KC, in 2021 to look into allegations of racist language and conduct made by Jahid Ahmed, Zoheb Sharif and Maurice Chambers.
Newton was brought on board shortly after former Essex and England cricketer John Stephenson took over as the clubs chief executive. —AFP
