Heather Knight unsurprised by ICEC report after experiences of sexism

Responding to the report and suggestions of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) launched this week, Knight, the England Women’s captain, mentioned that whereas a lot progress had been made, there was nonetheless a “long way to go”. She additionally recalled how she had been requested if she did “the ironing for the men” when she performed males’s cricket as a teen.

“It’s been really sad to hear about anyone that’s not felt welcome in our game – nobody should be made to feel unwelcome in our sport,” Knight mentioned on the eve of England’s first T20I in opposition to Australia within the Women’s Ashes at Edgbaston, the place greater than 19,000 tickets have been bought.

“This is a really important step for cricket, and cricket – having done this report – can really lead the way in terms of being more equitable, more diverse and more inclusive,” Knight mentioned. “It’s really important for me to say as a woman in cricket it’s not at all surprising, the recommendations that have come out of the report – but it’s really important to say cricket has come a hell of a long way since I was a kid.

“I began out taking part in males’s membership cricket and being requested ‘do you do the ironing for the lads once you end taking part in?’. Tomorrow I’ll lead my facet out in entrance of a close to full-house with 85,000 tickets bought for the entire sequence.

“Cricket has come very far but it’s also got a long way to go. As a group of England women cricketers we feel really strongly about this. We want to be a key part of that in pushing the game forward.”

The ICEC report discovered that racism, sexism, elitism and class-based discrimination have existed and nonetheless exist inside the sport.

Knight, who was amongst 4000 individuals to provide proof to the fee for its 317-page report titled “Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket”, is barely aged 32, so her expertise is in no way ‘historic’ and he or she mentioned such behaviour was nonetheless happening. But she mentioned she was inspired by altering attitudes and would encourage younger women to take up the game.

“There still are instances where this goes on but I think it has changed a lot,” Knight mentioned. “I went to watch a friend, a female in an [otherwise] male team recently, and she got quite a hostile reaction because she was female from one player in the other team. But I think the reaction of the people on the field was really important and I don’t think that probably would have happened previously.

“Everyone may be an ally of anybody within the sport and make individuals really feel welcome. So in the event you’re youthful and need to get into cricket, I’d say, do it, there isn’t any higher time. I want I used to be a teen stepping into cricket now. There’s no higher time to be a feminine taking part in cricket so yeah, come and take part and hopefully you are feeling welcome.”

Among the report’s 44 recommendations was a call for equal pay between women and men at domestic level by 2029 and international level by 2030. The report also said ICEC was “alarmed” by the “really appalling” fact that England Women have never played a Test at Lord’s, saying: “The ‘house of cricket’ continues to be a house principally for males.”

The third ODI against India at Lord’s last year was the first time England Women had played a match at Lord’s since they won the 2017 World Cup final there, although they are due to play their third T20I against Australia at the venue on July 8. And Richard Thompson, the ECB chair, has said England Women will host a Lord’s Test in 2026, acknowledging that it should have happened sooner.

“I’d like to play a Test match at Lord’s and it is very good to see Richard Thompson say the opposite day that there will be a Test match there within the subsequent few years, that is sensible,” Knight said. “We’ve truly obtained a sport at Lord’s later within the week, I’m actually excited to play that, it is a spot that is very particular. We’ve clearly received a World Cup there as properly which makes it much more particular for the ladies that have been concerned in that.

“I’m also involved with the MCC Foundation, which is a charity that do a hell of a lot of work with state school children in this country and a hell of a lot of work overseas as well. So, yeah, it would be nice to play a Test match there in the future and that sounds like it’s going to happen.”

As ticket gross sales for this Women’s Ashes sequence hit report ranges, Knight paid tribute to the pioneering work of gamers like Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who in 1976 turned the primary girl cricketer to set foot – in a taking part in capability – on the principle floor at Lord’s when she captained England in an ODI in opposition to Australia. She was additionally central to the marketing campaign to permit ladies to grow to be members of MCC in 1998, changing into one of many first feminine members of the membership the next 12 months. A gate named after her was unveiled at Lord’s final 12 months.

“The crowds seem pretty good actually for The Oval and Lord’s which is great to see and just thinking about people that weren’t allowed in at certain places in cricket previously and how they fought to get a seat at the table and have their voices heard, I think is really important,” Knight mentioned.

“Rachael Heyhoe Flint at Lord’s [is] probably the most obvious in terms of that so those sort of pioneers we’re very thankful for and hopefully that change can really accelerate and move on.”