Gloucestershire Cricket takes a knee
1 August 2020
Moments before the first match of the Summer, players from both Worcestershire and Gloucestershire Cricket took a knee to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter anti-racist movement and to support cricket’s focus on inclusion and diversity. The small gesture is part of a much larger commitment from Gloucestershire Cricket to continue breaking down barriers in order to achieve equality in every aspect of the club’s work.
2019 saw the club use the Cricket World Cup, and in particular the Trophy Tour, as an opportunity to learn and understand how to better connect with some of the local diverse communities within the county. The Club’s governance changed in the same year, and has ensured that the Board better represents the society we live in. In addition, improvements have been made following a ‘Shaping Cricket in Bristol’ event run at the Bristol County Ground ahead of the 2019 season.
Gloucestershire Cricket is fully committed to continuing this journey and, through open and honest conversations, learning, and a commitment to change, we are determined to overcome all barriers and perceived barriers in order to achieve equality in everything we do.
In July the ECB announced initial steps in its Inclusion and Diversity Strategy including:
- Leadership & Governance across the game – Improving representation across administrators and decision makers so the game embodies the modern and diverse society we live in;
- Listening & Education – Listen, learn and educate to broaden understanding and openness across cricket; and
- Opportunity & Visibility – Create further opportunities and highlight role models for diverse communities within the sport
Gloucestershire Cricket will strive to improve in these focus areas, in order to see the future generations of Gloucestershire inspired to say ‘cricket is a game for me’.
