It is said that evil succeeds when good men do nothing. There are thousands of good men and women in cricket. Their efforts are testament in the fact that the sport continues to thrive week in week out, year in year out.

However, in this country we have freedom of speech, freedom of movement and free access to children. For every good man and woman doing good things there is an ‘evil’. The evil exists in that one person who gives up their time not for the love of cricket but for the love of children.

As a parent would you invite a stranger into your home to look after your child without vetting their suitability? No, then why allow it to happen at a cricket club?

As a volunteer in cricket you are not absolved of your parental responsibilities. As a parent in cricket you have responsibilities as a volunteer. So why are there a number of clubs not taking their child protection responsibilities seriously?

All cricket clubs are desperate for volunteers but does that mean we overlook screening their suitability to come in contact with children because we are distracted by our need for another pair of hands?

Any club that invites persons under the age of 18 to partake in cricket outside their home environment; or relies upon such persons to provide a foundation, upon which their club is constructed, has an irrefutable responsibility to safeguard the welfare and safety of those young people.

For a long time cricket has ignored child welfare and protection. However, just because there is a slow awakening of consciousness does not mean that cricket is uncovering a new problem. Issues in relation to child abuse in sport and cricket have always existed but at the end of the day it comes down to whether it has had direct implications for you, your club or your child.

Child-protection legislation in the UK stipulates that organisations and individuals involved with children and young people have a duty to protect them from all foreseeable and perceived harm.

British law states that an individual or group is guilty of an offence if they knowingly ‘offer work (paid or voluntary) to or fail to remove an individual from work with children’ if they have certain previous convictions. This offence carries a prison sentence. This does not even take into consideration the fact that an individual or group can be subject to civil litigation if a child is abused in their care.

Every club has a ‘Duty of Care’ to fulfil. This means that clubs must do all that they can to protect children in their ‘care’ or liability sits solely and squarely with that club and those that run it.

Whether or not clubs are run as a business is neither here nor there. Liability in the eyes of the law is exactly the same.

What can you do to reduce this liability? Making a decision to change the focus of your club toward protecting children is the first step in recognizing that this matter will not go away. Child abuse is like alcoholism – if you don’t acknowledge that there is a problem how can you tackle it.

Accessibility to Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks in cricket has never been easier. All coaches, umpires, scorers and age group managers should be CRB checked. All other volunteers in your club must be asked to complete a Self Declaration form, available at  www.ecb.co.uk  or www.play-cricket.com  . Remember that the CRB process is only one part of a comprehensive vetting procedure. Information and references from an individual’s previous cricket club or trusted professional are another method.

Adopting and actually implementing the guidance in ‘Safe Hands – Welfare of Young People in Cricket’ policy and appointing a Club Welfare Officer assist to lessen liability and work toward complying with your duty of care.

Children themselves are your biggest asset in eradicating this problem. By simply asking the young people in your club what they are experiencing and how you can work together to resolve issues will ensure a comprehensive and commendable approach. Furthermore, remember that a parent is not absolved of their responsibilities simply because their child is at your club.

When Lord Harris stated "You do well to love cricket for it is more free from anything sordid, anything dishonourable than any game in the world." He couldn’t have possibly realised the reality that a club is facing when it attracts children who may be on the ‘Child Protection’ register, abused at home or vulnerable, whilst at the same time attracting someone who wishes to exploit that vulnerability and abuse it.

If we are to "protect it from anything that will sully it, so that it may grow in favour with all men" we all must realise that naivety and ignorance are not an excuse either in law or morally. Your defence is positive action.

If you require further information please go to www.ecb.co.uk or contact your County Welfare Officer.

Rebecca Ledingham

ECB Child Protection Manager