Football and cricket: The colour of equity

In tackling racism, the alleged gentleman's game can learn from the working class sport of football

It is ironic that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) finds itself bowled over by a controversy over racism just days before UEFA European Football Championship kicks off. Unlike the covert racism in cricket – including enthusiastic participation from Indian cricketers and fans – overt racism is a virus with which European football has lived for decades. The difference, of course, is that with a third to two-thirds of European national teams fielding players of African or Asian descent – many of them stars of the European club leagues – both the UEFA and its global parent FIFA have