Sport - Cricket

ICC steps up initiative to end racism

Mumbai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has stepped up its initiative to eradicate racism by urging its members to incorporate and celebrate ‘Diversity Day’ from the 2009 season. The ICC has told the members that as a part of its pledge to the Spirit of Cricket it is committed to celebrating diversity within the sport, which fits alongside the ICC’s work to ensure that there is no place for racism in cricket.

According to ICC sources, last March the ICC Board approved a proposal by the Chief Executives’ Committee that all 101 members should include a Diversity Day in their calendar and that each member will be able to select a time within its own season to celebrate the sport’s diversity and develop it as appropriate and relevant to the local audience.

More than two years ago the ICC Anti-Racism Code policy stressed on Celebrating Diversity by engaging the players as ambassadors to act as part of an on-going campaign of proactive events and to run diversity days that emphasise the diversity of cricket’s members and how it has successfully broken down barriers between race, colour, religion and culture.

In fact the first ICC Diversity Day was held in the course of the ICC World Twenty20 2007 when South African and Pakistani players visited local schools in South Africa and the top cricketers also contributing to the campaign by speaking about their experiences of diversity in cricket through ICC’s media platforms, including broadcast, website and publications. — Special Correspondent

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