ECB has ‘failed cricket’ over handling of Yorkshire racism scandal, Michael Holding claims

‘It’s the people that need to be looked at, not the policies’

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has “failed cricket” over its handling of the Yorkshire racism scandal, according to Michael Holding.

In a statement released last week, the ECB chastised Yorkshire after the club determined no action was necessary despite an independent report upholding seven of 43 claims of bullying and racial harassment.

The claims were made by former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq, with the fallout having a number of consequences. It has led club chairman Roger Hutton to resign, while the BBC dropped Michael Vaughan from his radio show after Rafiq’s former club teammate was accused of racism, and Yorkshire suspended first-team coach Andrew Gale “pending a disciplinary hearing following an historic tweet”. Yorkshire have also been suspended from hosting international fixtures.

Following his own resignation, Hutton was critical of the ECB, whom he said were not proactive enough in reacting to Rafiq’s allegations.

Now, West Indies legend Holding has weighed in, telling The Sun: “The ECB failed Yorkshire and they failed cricket. They are supposed to be the organisation that runs cricket in England.

“If you are the supreme court, for instance, and one of the lower courts has a problem and comes to you asking for help and you’ve said that’s not your business, that doesn’t work.

“They failed and failed terribly. I don’t think policies in any organisation will have racism and how to treat people in them. It’s the people that need to be looked at, not the policies. Their mindset, their ideology – that is what needs to change.

“It’s either a change of person or find a way to change their mindset. It’s one or the other – it cannot continue as it is.”