On behalf of the ECB and the entire leadership of the game, I offer my unreserved apologies to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel out of place, said ECB chairman Richard Thompson in a statement.

Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that wasn’t always the case. The report’s powerful conclusions also underscore that for too long women and black people have been neglected. We sincerely regret this.

England captain Ben Stokes called for cricket to learn from past mistakes and be more inclusive and diverse as this horrifying report came out at a press conference before Ash’s second Test against Australia at Lords Stadium.

To the people involved in the game who were made to feel unwelcome, I am deeply sorry for what you had to go through, Stokes said Tuesday.Cricket should celebrate diversity on all fronts, because without diversity it would not be the game it is today.

I’m Ben Stokes, born in New Zealand, state educated and dropped out of school at 16 with one PE exam.

I needed help with spelling and grammar in this speech, and currently sit here as captain of the England men’s national team tests.

Obviously the game has a lot more to do, and we, as players, really want to be a part of that to make sure that it really is a sport for everybody.

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