London, June 13, 2021 (Yes Punjab) After getting embarrassed over historic tweets coming back to haunt its cricketers, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a “social media review” to remind players of their responsibilities and also “help them learn”.
The ECB recently suspended pace bowler Ollie Robinson for eight-year-old racist and sexist tweets, while ace pace bowler James Anderson and batsman Jos Buttler were caught in a social-media storm after some of their cheeky tweets from the past resurfaced.
The Board conceded on Saturday that its “aspiration to become a more inclusive and welcoming sport for all” had been “severely diminished whilst discriminatory content remains in the social media space”.
In the wake of the episodes, the ECB said it will have a social media review to “address any historical issues, remind individuals of their personal responsibilities going forward, and help them learn lessons along the way”.
“Making cricket a game for everyone is central to the game’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy,” Ian Watmore, the ECB chair, was quoted as saying by cricinfo.com.
“Celebrating our many brilliant role models in men’s, women’s and disability cricket is essential to that aim, and the right use of social media is a critical means for achieving it.
“As the national governing body, we must steer a path between helping individuals project an inclusive image, educating them on what is expected of them and allowing them the space to express themselves to the public. We must also investigate their actions and sanction them when they fall short.
“The board was unanimous in support of the (ECB) executive in the actions taken by them in the last week and agrees with their plans to move the game forward in a spirit of inclusion, education and personal responsibility, whilst addressing those cases which cause most offence head on,” Watmore said.
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