Wednesday 17 June 2020 16:54, UK
Former England fast bowler Gladstone Small believes cricket's administrators "can't ignore" the Black Lives Matters movement and is confident more will be done to ensure an increase in opportunities for black coaches and players.
The number of black players in county cricket has diminished since Small retired in 1999, while there are no black head coaches amongst the 18 teams either.
Last week, the ECB pledged to "create demonstrable action in order to deliver meaningful and long-term change that permeates every layer of the game," and Small, who played in 17 Tests for England, is hopeful they will stick to that promise.
"We see the state of what's going on currently in and around us in town centres, how this has escalated and there are obviously issues that need to be addressed," Small told Sky Sports News.
"They're not fools the people that run these sports, some of us might think they have an adverse way of thinking about the game.
"But by and large they need to see the game progressing and without a shadow of a doubt the items that will be on all tables not just in sport but in life, politics, education, business is the question of racism, and giving black and ethnic minorities the chance to progress their communities and cricket can't ignore that for sure.
"I'm sure they'll be doing what they can to make it a more level playing field."
After retiring, Small was a director with the PCA, but there are currently no senior black figures at the ECB.
The Rooney rule is currently in place though for coaching positions across the national teams and Small supports the introduction of this in county cricket, with a study from Leeds Beckett University finding just two of 118 coaches and managers were black.
"The Rooney rule - absolutely, if that person has got the right qualifications and the right merit to be in that role," he said.
"It's wrong that there's only two black coaches out of one hundred or so. I never sought to go down the coaching route but when I was a director at the PCA, one thing we did was encouraged everyone that you don't play forever so whatever you want to do you've got to get qualified to do it.
"The ECB have a very good and robust coaching education programme - anyone who goes through that programme and gets their qualifications, absolutely you would like to think and hope the powers that be give guys an equal chance."
Small was part of an England touring squad to the West Indies in 1989-90 which included five black players, but since 2004, Michael Carberry is the only black man born in England to represent his country in a Test match - Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer were both born in Barbados.
There are just 10 black England eligible players currently contracted by counties and the former Warwickshire bowler believes finding a solution to that decline is multi-faceted, but hopes something similar to the ECB's 2018 South Asian action plan can be introduced.
"Black youngsters who have been born in England - their love of the game isn't the same as it was in the 60s, 70s and early 80s - I think that's one of the reasons aren't flourishing as they used to be," Small said.
"Of course there are things to be done to encourage - the game, the administrators, the counties, the programmes are there that try to push the game of cricket but in the end the real push comes from the parents.
"I get the role models - seeing someone you can really associate doing well and that will inspire you - role models are brilliant but I come from the point of view that the best inspiration and the best motivations comes from yourself and being the best person you can be."
