England captain Ben Stokes says he is “deeply sorry” to hear of experiences of discrimination in a report into cricket in England and Wales.
Giving a statement before Wednesday’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s, Stokes said cricket “must go further and be more inclusive and diverse”.
“It is clear the game has so much more to do,” Stokes said.
“The game should be enjoyed without fear of discrimination.”
The damning report, released earlier on Tuesday, looked into recreational and professional cricket, and the evidence gathered came from more than 4,000 respondents.
Among other things, it said that “structural and institutional racism” continues to exist within the game, women are treated as “subordinate” to men at all levels of the sport and there is a prevalence of “elitism and class-based discrimination” in cricket.
“To the people involved within the game who have been made to feel unwelcome, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences,” Stokes said.
“Cricket needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts, as without diversity it would not be the game it is today.
“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 needed help with the spelling and grammar in this speech.”
More to follow.