MIDDLESEX CRICKET SUPPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA BLACKOUT
Middlesex Cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) along with all other 17 First-Class Counties, the eight Women's elite regional teams, and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the football community in taking part in a social media boycott from 15:00 BST on Friday 30 April to 23:59 BST on Monday 3 May.
In taking part in this boycott, we want to show solidarity with football and amplify its message that nobody should have to suffer abuse, racism, or harassment on social media because they play, or are involved in professional sport.
With the game standing united on this alongside other sports, in imposing a blanket social media blackout across this period, no firmer message can be sent out to the social media companies responsible for not taking appropriate action.
Mike O’Farrell, Middlesex Cricket Chairman, said:
“As a Club Middlesex Cricket is committed to fight against all forms of racism and we will not tolerate any form of discriminatory abuse that has become so prevalent in the modern day on social media platforms.
“We are proud to be unified as a game in sending a message out that more has to be done to stamp out all online abuse and hate.
“As a Club, we, our players, and our staff have been subjected to online abuse, which all too often goes unpunished. Unless the social media companies do more to tackle this issue, the perpetrators of this hatred will continue to voice their hate.
“Sending a game wide message out, with a unified silence, is a powerful stance to take, and we only hope that with cricket unifying with other sports in this, the social media companies will be forced to take the necessary action.”
Middlesex members and supporters wishing to receive match updates and the latest news on the Club should continue to visit the Club’s website at www.middlesexccc.com, which will be kept updated throughout this social media blackout.
We thank all our members and fans for their support of the Club’s stance on this matter.
