Embracing restorative justice (and technology) could be just what the ECB needs

There is a need for Restorative Justice in cricket.

Hopefully that is not a question and it should not be debated!

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) released its report and recommendations in June 2023.  It calls for institutional change at cricket clubs across England and Wales. If you are a sports fan this report is just another indicator that significant reform is needed in sports bodies around the world.

https://theicec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/HOLDING-UP-A-MIRROR-TO-CRICKET-REPORT-ICEC-2023.pdf

Racism, inequity and discrimination are all called-out as issues that need to be resolved. The report speaks for itself. While it is quite painful to read, it does recommend a way forward and is optimistic about the future of cricket. It talks about the strength of the cricketing community as a whole.

Restorative Justice is part of the solution

Clearly harm has been done. Whether it is in the stadiums from with abuse from fans, in the changing rooms with throw away comments or in policies and practices that extend inequalities. As shown by the complaints that are analyzed in the report, there are thousands of people who feel harmed. Both the Harmed and the Harmers are part of their cricketing community and care passionately about it. Restorative Principles can help restore these broken relationships to the benefit of the cricketing world as a whole.

Complaints, once verified can be dealt with in two ways. The first is punitive, such as fines, bans or in certain cases criminal action. This is costly and will not adjust the cricketing culture in the positive way that the ICEC report is recommending. The second is to use proven, restorative practices that will help bring the community back together: https://restorativ.co/what-is-rj

Technology is crucial

The most efficient way to reach thousands of people and help restore the broken relationships caused by racism, inequity and discrimination is with some technological support. The solution needs to be scalable and provide the decision support for the ECB and Cricket teams. That needs automation...and Restorativ is here to help: https://restorativ.co/outsourcing

The ECB has the opportunity to lead the way in dealing with issues that affect all sports teams around the world. Let's hope they look at restorative practices as a tool to affect cultural change.