Essex have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the ECB over an historical racism allegation.
The charge relates to the county’s failure to conduct a proper investigation into an incident where a racist comment was allegedly made during a board meeting five years ago.
John Faragher last year resigned as Essex chairman following allegations he used racist language in the 2017 meeting. Faragher stepped down despite strongly denying the incident.
A panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission will now hear the case and adjudicate.
“Essex County Cricket Club has today received two disciplinary charges from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding alleged comments made at a meeting in 2017,” read a statement from the county.
“These are not new allegations but are the next formal part of the ECB process regarding issues that were raised by the ECB in October 2021.
“The club takes this matter extremely seriously.
“We have co-operated fully with the ECB’s investigations since they commenced last year and will continue to do so as the process moves to this next stage.”
The club have been charged with a breach of ECB directive 3.3.
It 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.”
