Ebony Rainford-Brent: Cricket "Owes a Lot" to Azeem Rafiq

Ebony Rainford-Brent, the former England cricketer has expressed deep admiration for Azeem Rafiq’s courage in exposing racism within the sport, stating that cricket “owes a lot” to him. Rafiq, who first made allegations of racial abuse at Yorkshire in 2020, later described English cricket as “institutionally racist.” His revelations led to an independent investigation that upheld several of his claims and in 2022, a hearing confirmed that five former players had used racist language, damaging the reputation of the sport.

Rainford-Brent, the first Black woman to play for England, spoke about the impact of Rafiq’s actions in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. She praised him for his boldness acknowledging that while the journey was difficult, Rafiq’s bravery paved the way for wider change. “I owe him a lot,” she said, highlighting the challenge of confronting deep-rooted issues of racism in cricket. A report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket in 2023 revealed that discrimination within the sport was widespread.

In response, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) vowed to change the game, acknowledging racism, sexism and elitism as systemic issues. Despite progress, Ebony Rainford-Brent, who retired from playing in 2012 and now holds administrative roles emphasized that cricket still has a long way to go. She believes the sport must remain accountable for at least 20 more years to achieve real cultural change. Rainford-Brent also shared her own struggles growing up as a young Black girl in cricket.

She faced challenges of fitting in and dealing with discrimination especially in a sport dominated by more affluent players. Despite these obstacles, she has remained passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation, notably through her charity, the African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) which encourages young people from African and Caribbean backgrounds to reconnect with cricket.