English cricket's 'endemic problem' with racism was exposed once again on Tuesday after the chairman of Middlesex used 'lazy, unhelpful and misguided' stereotypes during an embarrassing performance in front of MPs.
Giving evidence to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee hearing, Mike O'Farrell appeared to blame the lack of diversity in county cricket on black children preferring football and youngsters from south Asian communities prioritising education.
O'Farrell was later forced to issue an apology for his clumsy comments, which were criticised by former players Azeem Rafiq and Ebony Rainford-Brent, as well as Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination group who only on Tuesday announced a partnership with the ECB.
Mike O'Farrell has outraged many within English cricket following his 'lazy, unhelpful and misguided' racial stereotypes during an embarrassing performance in front of MPs on Tuesday
Giving evidence to a DCMS committee, the Middlesex chairman appeared to blame the lack of diversity in county cricket on Afro-Caribbean and South Asians choosing other things
Whistleblower Rafiq also slammed multi-millionaire Hampshire supremo Rod Bransgrove, who suggested the domestic game was actually 'overachieving' when it came to diversity, before trying to claim he too had experienced 'prejudice'.
O'Farrell, Bransgrove, Glamorgan chair Gareth Williams and new Yorkshire chair Lord Patel were all giving evidence at the latest DCMS committee hearing into racism in cricket, two months after ex-Yorkshire spinner Rafiq's explosive testimony on the discrimination he faced during his career.
Challenged by committee chair Julian Knight on why Middlesex, based in one of the most diverse cities in the world, were not attracting more players from ethnic backgrounds, O'Farrell said: 'As we move up the chain, particularly as we get to the academy, we find it becomes more difficult for several reasons.
'The football and rugby world becomes much more attractive to the Afro-Caribbean community.
'In terms of the South Asian community, there is a moment where we're finding that they do not want necessarily to commit the same time that is necessary to go to the next step.
'They prefer - not always saying they do it - to go into other educational fields and then cricket becomes secondary. Part of that is because it's a rather more time-consuming sport than some others.'
Azeem Rafiq's bombshell testimony to the DCMS panel last November caused a sensation
O'Farrell's remarks were reminiscent of those made by former FA chairman Greg Clarke during his gaffe-ridden performance to the same committee in November 2020, when he suggested south Asian people chose careers in IT over sport. Clarke resigned later that day.
Responding to O'Farrell's comments, Rafiq - who described English cricket as 'institutionally racist' during his DCMS committee appearance in November - tweeted: 'This has just confirmed what a endemic problem the game has. I actually can't believe what I am listening to. #GiveMeStrength.'
Leading pundit Ebony Rainford-Brent, the first black woman to play for England who has launched an African-Caribbean engagement programme in Surrey, posted: 'Honestly these outdated views in the game are exactly why we are in this position.
