English County Cricket Club Gloucestershire Apologise To Ex-Player Over Racist Abuse

English county cricket club Gloucestershire have apologised "unreservedly" to retired Test bowler David Lawrence for failing to investigate incidents of racist abuse he suffered while playing for them

Lawrence was born in England to Caribbean parents, he played five Tests and took 18 wickets for England between 1988 and 1992 before a serious knee injury curtailed his international career.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison last year said Black Lives Matter protests had forced the game to "confront uncomfortable truths", adding it had "a great deal more to do" to become more inclusive.

English cricket was rocked by racism allegations in September 2020 when Pakistan-born former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq claimed he was driven to suicidal thoughts by racism and bullying at the club.

A Yorkshire report this month concluded Rafiq was a victim of "inappropriate behaviour" and "racial harassment and bullying" but did not say the county was institutionally racist. England took the knee with their West Indies counterparts during their three-match Test series in 2020 to raise awareness of racism and discrimination.