Essex fined £50000 by ECB over discriminatory comments at a board meeting

In a crushing blow to Essex, the county club has been fined £50000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after pleading guilty to a couple of charges related to racism made at a board meeting back in 2017.

The case was heard by a discipline commission instituted by the ECB, which found the club guilty of making a racist comment and for their failure to conduct a fair (or any) investigation.

According to a report published in BBC Sports, the fine has been suspended for two years, and the ECB have also cautioned Essex with regard to their conduct.

The disciplinary panel concluded in its proceedings that chief executive John Stephenson had done everything within his "power" to conduct a fair enquiry into the matter but was "thwarted" by "internal division" within the Essex Board.

The panel further added that Essex "failed to uphold the standards expected of" it. It also said that given the inner conflict in the Essex camp, the club's ability to deal with such matters in all honestly "remains unresolved" while stating that the use of such language at a meeting brought the game into massive disrepute.

For the uninitiated, Essex were charged with a breach of Directive 3.3 under the ECB Code of Conduct back in February.

The Directive reads-

"No participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

Essex, meanwhile, have accepted the charge and said that the club will continue to work with the ECB in their fight against discrimination.

"The club has a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and any form of discrimination," it added.

Former chairman of the club John Faragher denied making a comment, as reported by BBC Sport.