England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) apologized for historic safeguarding failures after a case review into the offences of disgraced former cricket coach Michael Strange was published.
Strange is currently imprisoned for a series of sex offences against boy cricketers in the 1990s and early 2000s, and was previously banned from cricket in 2005. The apology from the ECB is accompanied by a pledge to continue developing safeguarding practices within the sport.
Michael Strange’s Crimes: A Historic Abuse Case in Cricket
Michael Strange, aged 65 and a retired cricket coach, was found guilty in 2012 of a series of sexual crimes against ten victims during a period of over ten years from 1993 to 2004.
He was sentenced for 34 individual offences, all occurring while he was an employee as a coach at the county level. Strange was initially suspended from cricket in 2005 when the allegations first emerged, and was permanently disqualified from participating in any cricket activities in 2006.
The case review, printed by the Cricket Regulator, stated that Michael Strange was “definitively a sexual predator.” The review further added that Strange’s charismatic nature and powerful role as a county-level coach were of key importance in allowing him to take advantage of both children and adults, leading them to believe that he would facilitate their success in cricket.
ECB Admits Failings but Points to Considerable Changes
In response to the review, ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould said there was deep regret on behalf of everyone: “Everyone should be able to enjoy playing cricket safely, and today our thoughts are with those who were injured by Michael Strange. We are sorry you suffered this at our sport.”
While conceding that past errors had occurred, Gould insisted the ECB’s policies for safeguarding had “developed significantly” in the past 20 years. The review identified big improvements in the safeguarding practices not just within cricket but also within broader society.
Nevertheless, Gould reaffirmed the ECB’s pledge to continued development and improvement of its safeguarding initiatives so that the sport would continue to evolve and keep its participants safe from harm.
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Comparing Michael Strange’s Case with Other Sport Scandals
Michael Strange’s experience is reminiscent of cases in other sports, most well-known (at least to those in the UK) is Barry Bennell, the deceased former Crewe Alexandra football coach and Manchester City scout. Bennell, who died in 2023 whilst serving a prison sentence for 50 offences of child sexual abuse, was also able to use his powerful position in sport to abuse young vulnerable players.
This case draws attention to a wide issue of safeguarding failure across sport and, the need for continued reform to safeguard participants at all levels.
Findings from the Review: Learning for the Future of Safeguarding in Cricket
Chris Haward, the Director of the Cricket Regulator, underlined the need for safeguarding by noting, “Michael Strange was a prolific offender, and the impact of his crimes on the people he harmed cannot be overestimated.” Haward praised the contributors to the review and noted that the recommendations and findings would inform the future direction of safeguarding practices in the sport.
The review noted a number of areas where it was possible to make improvements to better safeguard participants. These include maximizing awareness and identification of cause for concern behavior, making sure staff and players have the knowledge required to act upon when safeguarding concerns exist, and continuing to invest in education and training for all those engaged in the sport.
Commitment to Safeguarding Practice Improvement
The ECB has pledged to deliver the recommendations of the review and will continue to work towards creating a safer environment for all cricket participants. Through its continued work, the board will continue to maintain its safeguarding focus, issue education throughout the sport, and ensure that people in positions of authority are held accountable for what they do.
Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said: “Everyone should be able to take part in cricket safely, and our first thoughts today are with the people who were harmed by Michael Strange. We are sorry this happened to you within our sport.
“It is more than 20 years since Strange was suspended from cricket and while the review recognises that safeguarding understanding, policies and practices have developed significantly since then – within cricket and across society more widely – we will never be complacent. This review highlights the importance of everyone being able to recognise concerning behaviour, and to act upon it.
“We are constantly developing and strengthening our safeguarding work as well as the education we deliver across the game, and the review’s findings and recommendations will inform our continuing work. By learning from this appalling case, we can keep people safer today.”
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