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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Long way to go to end racism: England's first Black cricketer speaks out
Forty five years after becoming the first Black cricketer to play for England, Roland Butcher says there is still a long way to go before racism is rooted out of the game and the British society in general. Butcher, who shuttles between his native Barbados and the United Kingdom, is currently in England spreading the message of an inclusive society through his autobiography - 'Breaking Barriers: Barbados to England and Back'. Speaking to PTI, the 71-year-old, who made history by playing three Tests and as many ODIs for England, looked back at his early days as a black cricketer in the '70s and '80s, his last minute withdrawal from the rebel tour of South Africa in the apartheid era and how his story opened the doors for the younger generations who went on to play for the country. "I am pragmatic enough to understand that something doesn't just finish just like that. The only thing that would finish anything in a hurry is a meteorite. But everything takes time and you chip away at it," said Butcher, a former batter. "Racism has been chipped away in England by a foreign person since the 1950s. We're in 2025 and we're still talking about it. So that tells you just how long the process is. "I think it's a never-ending process. It's one that has to be worked at all the time. So, you know, you've got to keep chipping away. We've got it to this point, but there's still a long way to go." Butcher was among the many in the cricketing world that were shocked by racism allegations made by Karachi-born cricketer Azeem Rafiq against his county team Yorkshire in 2020, leading to multiple resignations at the club. Though it is easier to call out racism in county cricket than his playing days, Butcher feels the discrimination, whether subtle or in your face, remains. "There has been incremental progress. I don't think that you will just suddenly get a blank sheet of paper and it'll all be a perfect drawing on it. That's not going to happen. I think it's something that has to be worked at continuously. And gradually over time, let's reduce the instances. "But it's not going to just suddenly disappear. If something's been going on for centuries, it doesn't disappear within one year. And both players, ECB, everybody has to work at it. Trying to just level the playing field. That's the important thing," said Butcher. Lot of black players had it more difficult than me Butcher played for Middlesex from 1974 to 1990. He faced racism on the county cricket circuit but the others had it much tougher. "Well, for me personally, it wasn't that bad because (as he grew up in Barbados before moving to England at the age of 13), I am the sort of person that I didn't let anything deter me from what I really wanted to achieve. But in saying that, back in the '80s, there certainly was a lot of racism in England, not just in cricket, but I think in society. "A lot of black players had difficult times, more difficult times than me around the circuit. But having made the breakthrough, I think it assisted a number of other black players who had been striving to get forward. "I'm still very proud of that achievement because as I said, not only did I get to where I wanted to be as an international cricketer and achieve what I wanted to, I'm very proud that it opened the doors for many and many black players have passed through that door as well." 'They have got five black cricketers playing for them' Having said that, incidents of casual racism remember remains fresh in Butcher's memory. One of the things that I remember me personally is, I was fortunate to play in a very good Middlesex team that was very successful. We had a lot of good players, but we also had, at any one time, we had five black players in the team. So there was myself, Wayne Daniel, Will Slack, Neil Williams and Norman Collins. "So, you know, we were a pretty multi-racial team, but it didn't stop opposition fans from remarking at times. I can remember one particular game against Kent where we were taking the field after tea and as we walked through the crowd, someone remarked, 'look, they've got five of them'. "I just thought, how perceptive, we've been playing all day and you only just realised that there's five black players in Middlesex team," he recollected as if it was yesterday. Withdrawal from rebel tour of South Africa Butcher was a beacon of hope for the Black community in England but a controversy erupted when he decided to tour South Africa in 1989 when the apartheid policy was still in effect and the team from the rainbow nation was banned from international cricket. There was intense backlash and Butcher realised that it was in his and his community's best interests that he did not board the flight to South Africa with a predominantly white team, including captain Mike Gatting. "I had made the decision to go for various reasons. And, then in reflection over a period of time, perhaps a little bit more education, I realised that going would be perhaps not the best thing in my interest or in the interest of black people in South Africa and outside of South Africa. "There were legal challenges but then I made the decision to withdraw from the tour," said Butcher, who played county cricketer against the likes of Farok Engineer, Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi and Imran Khan. Britain has no choice but to be more tolerant In the end, Butcher said it is not all doom and gloom when it comes to dealing with racial matters in England, considering a sizeable chunk of the country's population is black or coloured. "I think Britain is a much more tolerant country now than it used to be. It has to be if you think of the nationalities that live within England, Scotland and Wales right now. They have no choice but to be more tolerant because there are large percentages of foreign people living in this land. "...Back in the '70s, '80s, '90s, it would have been much more difficult to call out racism because any black or Asian or any foreign player didn't feel they could speak out because they were not represented in any way. "Now they've got more of a voice because they're now encouraged to speak out. If you have a problem within your club, you're now encouraged to speak. And they've got people dedicated within the clubs to listen to you and take it forward. That didn't happen before. So again, that is progress," concluded Butcher.
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
'Look, They've Got 5': Ex-England Star Recalls Dealing With Racism In Cricket
Last Updated: Roland Butcher, England's first Black cricketer, faced casual racism but played 277 First-Class matches, scoring over 12,000 runs. He is proud to inspire future Black players. Roland Butcher, the first Black cricketer to play for England, has recalled the casual racism he used to face during the time he was coming up the ranks. One incident saw a member of the crowd shouting about how his Middlesex team had five of 'them' — Wayne Daniel, Will Slack, Neil Williams, and Norman Collins — during a game in the County Championship. Butcher, a wicketkeeper by trade, played three ODIs and as many Tests for England. He also featured in 277 First-Class and 271 List-A matches. Although his international career was a bit underwhelming in terms of statistics, he scored over 12,000 runs, including 17 centuries and 65 fifties in his First-Class tenure. He grew up in Barbados and moved to England when he was 13, and currently shuttles between the two countries. 'One of the things that I remember me personally is, I was fortunate to play in a very good Middlesex team that was very successful," he said in an interview with PTI. 'We had a lot of good players, but we also had, at any one time, we had five black players in the team. So there was myself, Wayne Daniel, Will Slack, Neil Williams and Norman Collins. So, you know, we were a pretty multi-racial team, but it didn't stop opposition fans from remarking at times. I can remember one particular game against Kent where we were taking the field after tea and as we walked through the crowd, someone remarked, 'look, they've got five of them'. I just thought, how perceptive, we've been playing all day and you only just realised that there's five black players in Middlesex team," he added. 'A lot of black players had difficult times, more difficult times than me around the circuit. But having made the breakthrough, I think it assisted a number of other black players who had been striving to get forward. I'm still very proud of that achievement because as I said, not only did I get to where I wanted to be as an international cricketer and achieve what I wanted to, I'm very proud that it opened the doors for many and many black players have passed through that door as well," he added. Butcher said there's still a 'long way to go' till England can eradicate racism from its society, though appreciating the progress that has been made in the last five years or so. view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 15:52 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roland Butcher: ‘West Indies are struggling – we've not hit rock bottom yet'
'England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years.' Roland Butcher rings the bell before the second Test match between the two sides. 'England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years.' Roland Butcher rings the bell before the second Test match between the two sides. Photograph: Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Getty Images After West Indies secured a one-day series draw against Ireland on Sunday their captain, Shai Hope, was asked about the team's imminent visit to England. 'We played them at the end of last year and we won that series so we know they're going to be coming at us even harder this time,' he said. 'We're looking forward to it. We know they're going to be a tough, tough opponent but we're always ready to play anyone.' Roland Butcher, child of Barbados, once of England and more recently a West Indies selector, has a less optimistic outlook: 'We're struggling, and the struggle is not over. We haven't hit rock bottom yet.' The concentration of power across all three formats in the hands of one coach and selector – Daren Sammy – is what Butcher fears 'is going to finally push us to the bottom'. Advertisement Related: Jimmy Anderson: 'I know my body has got a certain amount of deliveries left in it' Butcher's knowledge of Caribbean cricket is broad and deep, with 15 years as head coach of the University of the West Indies sports academy, one serving on the national team's selection panel alongside another familiar name in Desmond Haynes, and many commentating on matches around the region. He was appointed as a selector in December 2022 but dismissed a year later, with full control of the team eventually handed to Sammy, who picks and also coaches the senior side across all formats as of April this year. 'In Desmond and myself you've got over 100 years of experience at the highest level, still capable, still wanting to contribute,' Butcher says. 'I've moved on and Desmond has moved on as well, but we've got this knowledge, we want to help and they're struggling. 'It was a very left-field change, and not a change that I agree with. Not because I'm no longer a selector, it's just not suitable for somewhere like the West Indies. In 2023, they had the best run they've had for 25 years in terms of results and for some reason they decided to make Daren the only selector and coach. I mean, madness. And it's going to be tested already because they're over here and then in a couple of weeks Australia is arriving for a Test series. I mean, how can you coach three teams? How can you be the only selector for three teams? It's just absolute madness. Advertisement England and Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the upcoming Metro Bank One-Day Internationals against the West Indies due to a right hamstring strain. Atkinson sustained the injury during England's Rothesay Test victory over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week. He will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the England medical team. No replacement will be added to the ODI squad. England, led by captain Harry Brook, will contest three ODIs with the series getting underway with the opening match on Thursday 29 May at Edgbaston. ODI squad: Harry Brook (Yorkshire) – Captain Tom Banton (Somerset) Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire) Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Brydon Carse (Durham) Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire) Tom Hartley (Lancashire) Will Jacks (Surrey) Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire) Jamie Overton (Surrey) Matthew Potts (Durham) Adil Rashid (Yorkshire) Joe Root (Yorkshire) Jamie Smith (Surrey) Luke Wood (Lancashire) Metro Bank ODIs 1st ODI: England v West Indies, Thursday 29 May 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham 2nd ODI: England v West Indies, Sunday 1 June 2025, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 3rd ODI: England v West Indies, Tuesday 3 June 2025, Kia Oval, London 'What they've done is they've said the chairmen of selectors in the territories – so in Barbados or in Trinidad – now becomes a talent scout as well. But there's no selection process for them. The selector in Barbados, he's a man in a full-time job. When does Sammy watch regional cricket? Desmond Haynes and myself, that's all we did, watch cricket, all over the place. I was a youth selector as well so I'd be at the regional tournaments, under‑15, under-17, under-19, and I got to see all the young talent coming through. The talent scouts can't do that. And they didn't just get rid of the senior men's selectors. The youth selectors as well, they changed that.' Advertisement In Butcher's year as a selector, the West Indies men's side won 51% of their games, the only time this century they have won the majority of their matches across all formats in a calendar year. 'When I left, I said to Desmond: 'We were a success.' There's no other West Indian selector that has left and can say they were a success, they were always let go because the team failed,' he says. 'We were a success. So that will always stay with me. The powers that be, they wanted to move to a different situation. But we were a success and we were on the right path. There's no question about that. They can't take that away.' West Indies have been affected by the proliferation of lucrative franchise leagues and their habit of distracting – or just taking – international players. 'But I think England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years,' Butcher says. 'I don't think many countries looked at what was happening with West Indies and ever thought: 'You know what, this'll happen to us too.' For the last 10 years, West Indies teams have been weakened by domestic leagues and everybody was sitting back saying: 'Oh, West Indies, they're mercenaries.' They didn't think it would come home to roost.' After a winter in Barbados, Butcher is settling back in to life in England before a summer of commentary and promoting his new book, Breaking Barriers. It certainly doesn't want for interesting stories: being brought up in poverty by his grandmother on Barbados's east coast, being uprooted to join his parents in Stevenage, hoovering up trophies in a wonderful Middlesex side, becoming England's first black player before having his international ambitions crushed by a serious eye injury, and going into and swiftly giving up on cricket coaching. 'I found the English system too rigid. It was all from a book. I didn't feel confident enough that I would be allowed to do what I thought should happen.' He turned instead to football, met a then-unknown Brendan Rodgers while studying for his Uefa B licence and was recruited by him to join Reading's academy, before being left behind when Rodgers was headhunted by Chelsea and from there launched on a stellar coaching career. Advertisement 'If he hadn't gone I think I would have stuck it longer,' Butcher says. 'What pushed me out eventually was the fact that I knew John Barnes very well and he was having it really tough. He couldn't get interviews, couldn't get shortlisted, couldn't get nothing. So after Brendan left, it dawned on me if guys of that level are struggling to make it professionally, it's gonna be tough for me.' Now 71, Butcher has no intention of drifting away from cricket. He is very active as the president of Barbados Royals girls cricket club, the region's first all-female club, and a patron of the Ace Programme, the British charity trying to drive engagement in the sport among underrepresented communities. 'While I'm still capable physically and mentally to do something, I think I've got a lot to offer. I'm a cricket man and cricket has been my life.'
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Roland Butcher: ‘West Indies are struggling – we've not hit rock bottom yet'
After West Indies secured a one-day series draw against Ireland on Sunday their captain, Shai Hope, was asked about the team's imminent visit to England. 'We played them at the end of last year and we won that series so we know they're going to be coming at us even harder this time,' he said. 'We're looking forward to it. We know they're going to be a tough, tough opponent but we're always ready to play anyone.' Roland Butcher, child of Barbados, once of England and more recently a West Indies selector, has a less optimistic outlook: 'We're struggling, and the struggle is not over. We haven't hit rock bottom yet.' The concentration of power across all three formats in the hands of one coach and selector – Daren Sammy – is what Butcher fears 'is going to finally push us to the bottom'. Butcher's knowledge of Caribbean cricket is broad and deep, with 15 years as head coach of the University of the West Indies sports academy, one serving on the national team's selection panel alongside another familiar name in Desmond Haynes, and many commentating on matches around the region. He was appointed as a selector in December 2022 but dismissed a year later, with full control of the team eventually handed to Sammy, who picks and also coaches the senior side across all formats as of April this year. 'In Desmond and myself you've got over 100 years of experience at the highest level, still capable, still wanting to contribute,' Butcher says. 'I've moved on and Desmond has moved on as well, but we've got this knowledge, we want to help and they're struggling. 'It was a very left-field change, and not a change that I agree with. Not because I'm no longer a selector, it's just not suitable for somewhere like the West Indies. In 2023, they had the best run they've had for 25 years in terms of results and for some reason they decided to make Daren the only selector and coach. I mean, madness. And it's going to be tested already because they're over here and then in a couple of weeks Australia is arriving for a Test series. I mean, how can you coach three teams? How can you be the only selector for three teams? It's just absolute madness. England and Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the upcoming Metro Bank One-Day Internationals against the West Indies due to a right hamstring sustained the injury during England's Rothesay Test victory over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week. He will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the England medical team. No replacement will be added to the ODI led by captain Harry Brook, will contest three ODIs with the series getting underway with the opening match on Thursday 29 May at Edgbaston. ODI squad: Harry Brook (Yorkshire) – CaptainTom Banton (Somerset)Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)Jos Buttler (Lancashire)Brydon Carse (Durham)Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)Tom Hartley (Lancashire)Will Jacks (Surrey)Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)Jamie Overton (Surrey)Matthew Potts (Durham)Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)Joe Root (Yorkshire)Jamie Smith (Surrey)Luke Wood (Lancashire)Metro Bank ODIs1st ODI: England v West Indies, Thursday 29 May 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham2nd ODI: England v West Indies, Sunday 1 June 2025, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff3rd ODI: England v West Indies, Tuesday 3 June 2025, Kia Oval, London 'What they've done is they've said the chairmen of selectors in the territories – so in Barbados or in Trinidad – now becomes a talent scout as well. But there's no selection process for them. The selector in Barbados, he's a man in a full-time job. When does Sammy watch regional cricket? Desmond Haynes and myself, that's all we did, watch cricket, all over the place. I was a youth selector as well so I'd be at the regional tournaments, under‑15, under-17, under-19, and I got to see all the young talent coming through. The talent scouts can't do that. And they didn't just get rid of the senior men's selectors. The youth selectors as well, they changed that.' In Butcher's year as a selector, the West Indies men's side won 51% of their games, the only time this century they have won the majority of their matches across all formats in a calendar year. 'When I left, I said to Desmond: 'We were a success.' There's no other West Indian selector that has left and can say they were a success, they were always let go because the team failed,' he says. 'We were a success. So that will always stay with me. The powers that be, they wanted to move to a different situation. But we were a success and we were on the right path. There's no question about that. They can't take that away.' West Indies have been affected by the proliferation of lucrative franchise leagues and their habit of distracting – or just taking – international players. 'But I think England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years,' Butcher says. 'I don't think many countries looked at what was happening with West Indies and ever thought: 'You know what, this'll happen to us too.' For the last 10 years, West Indies teams have been weakened by domestic leagues and everybody was sitting back saying: 'Oh, West Indies, they're mercenaries.' They didn't think it would come home to roost.' Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion After a winter in Barbados, Butcher is settling back in to life in England before a summer of commentary and promoting his new book, Breaking Barriers. It certainly doesn't want for interesting stories: being brought up in poverty by his grandmother on Barbados's east coast, being uprooted to join his parents in Stevenage, hoovering up trophies in a wonderful Middlesex side, becoming England's first black player before having his international ambitions crushed by a serious eye injury, and going into and swiftly giving up on cricket coaching. 'I found the English system too rigid. It was all from a book. I didn't feel confident enough that I would be allowed to do what I thought should happen.' He turned instead to football, met a then-unknown Brendan Rodgers while studying for his Uefa B licence and was recruited by him to join Reading's academy, before being left behind when Rodgers was headhunted by Chelsea and from there launched on a stellar coaching career. 'If he hadn't gone I think I would have stuck it longer,' Butcher says. 'What pushed me out eventually was the fact that I knew John Barnes very well and he was having it really tough. He couldn't get interviews, couldn't get shortlisted, couldn't get nothing. So after Brendan left, it dawned on me if guys of that level are struggling to make it professionally, it's gonna be tough for me.' Now 71, Butcher has no intention of drifting away from cricket. He is very active as the president of Barbados Royals girls cricket club, the region's first all-female club, and a patron of the Ace Programme, the British charity trying to drive engagement in the sport among underrepresented communities. 'While I'm still capable physically and mentally to do something, I think I've got a lot to offer. I'm a cricket man and cricket has been my life.'
