Middlesex chairman apologises for 'painful' and 'outdated' views on black and South Asian interest

Middlesex chairman addresses parliamentary hearing on cricket's governance

Mike O' Farrell has apologized for comments he made about black and South Asian interest in cricket.

Football and rugby are more attractive to the Afro-Caribbean community, and cricket is sometimes used to educate young South Asian players.

He spoke at the DCMS select committee about how cricket plans to tackle racism in the sport.

Rainford-Brent said such outdated views were why cricket was under pressure to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion.

O' Farrell apologized for his comments at the hearing.

I accept that this misunderstanding is down to my own lack of clarity and context in the answers I provided, and I am devastated that my comments have led to the conclusions some have made.

I wanted to make the point that cricket has failed a generation of young cricketers in failing to provide them with the same opportunities that other sports and sectors provide.

Rafiq, who told the DCMS select committee that English cricket was institutionally racist, said he accepted O'Farrell's apology without a doubt.

The 30-year-old told the radio station that the language used at the DCMS hearing was painful and Hurtful as a reminder of how Yorkshire dealt with him.

Rafiq told the PM programme that he had shown everyone what he was talking about.

The counties and the game are still very much in denial.

Rafiq claims that the data he has seen does not support the reasons why players are not progressing in the sport.

He says that O' Farrell's view on black and South Asian players is a way of blaming minority groups for the problem in the game.

Rafiq said, "Any person of colour reading that, to say Asian kids don't want to pay cricket because it's time consuming... it's staggering."

He felt so comfortable to sit in front of a public forum and express his views. If that is the case, then it is worrying times for the club.

A parliamentary report earlier this month recommended the government limit public funding for cricket if there was progress on the issue of racism.

When asked about the diversity and inclusion of their players, O' Farrell said that most of them came from culturally diverse background.

He said that it was more difficult to maintain diversity at higher levels and particularly in the academy.

The football and rugby worlds become more attractive to the Afro-Caribbean community at that age.

In terms of the South Asian community, there is a time when they prefer not to commit the same time that is necessary to go to the next step.

It is a more time consuming sport, so we are finding it difficult.

He said the situation was changing with Twenty20 and one-day cricket because young South Asian men and women were finding this a more attractive sport.

He said that they are moving it forward but it is not as fast as they would like.

Rainford-Brent said on social media that the game deserves better.

She said it was just painful.

South Asian players made up 30% of recreational players, but only 4% of first-class county players.

There has been an increase in South Asian players in county academies, but the proportion of recreational players who are South Asian has dropped to 28%.

The African Caribbean Engagement Programme was founded by Rainford-Brent to address a 75% decline in cricket participation by members of the black community over the past 25 years.

She said that the young people need the right offer.

Cricket won't make the progress it needs to unless it learns how to make the game attractive to all, according to a statement by O'Farrell.

He said that we at Middlesex are the same.

We have an academy side that contains more than half of British-born Asian and black young cricketers and we must take responsibility for ensuring that the route into the professional game is as accessible and appealing as other sports or opportunities.

I speak on behalf of the entire club in saying that our desire is to see a 1st XI walking out to play for the club which is truly reflective of the broadly diverse county that Middlesex is today and that we will do all within our power to make that happen.

I apologize for any upset or hurt my earlier comments may have caused.