Grant Bradburn Fined And Ordered To Attend Couse After Glamorgan Sacking

Grant Bradburn, former coach of Glamorgan. Pic: Alamy

Evidence has been released related to Glamorgan’s decision to sack their former head coach, Grant Bradburn.

Former Glamorgan head coach Grant Bradburn has been formally reprimanded and cautioned after admitting to using discriminatory language.

The 58-year-old New Zealander, who was dismissed by the Welsh county in December, faced scrutiny following an internal investigation.

The independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) found that Bradburn had made comments carrying "racist connotations" on two occasions and remarks with "sexist connotations" in another instance.

Bradburn has been ordered to complete an educational course on discrimination and equality, diversity, and inclusion, alongside receiving a suspended £500 fine in addition to the reprimand and warning.

The CDC detailed the allegations against Bradburn, which included questioning players of Asian heritage about their "real age," suggesting an implication that they were not truthful about their age.

Another remark made in a pre-season team meeting suggested that cricket selection decisions in Pakistan involved choosing friends or cousins or picking names at random.

Additionally, during fielding practice, Bradburn was reported to have said, "this isn’t Western Storm" or similar words, implying a lack of intensity from male players by comparing them to the women’s team.

All three instances were deemed discriminatory by CDC adjudicator Tim O’Gorman, with the first two categorised as having racial connotations and the latter carrying sexist implications.

The cricket regulator argued that Bradburn’s position as head coach exacerbated the situation, particularly as players reportedly adopted his phrase regarding Western Storm, reinforcing the discriminatory language.

Despite this, the CDC acknowledged mitigating factors, including Bradburn’s acceptance of the charges, his remorse, and his willingness to apologise.

The commission found no intent to be racist or discriminatory and noted that this was the first disciplinary action taken against Bradburn by the cricket regulator or the England and Wales Cricket Board.

O’Gorman described Bradburn as "a reflective coach who espouses continual learning, has admitted that although he has not always got things 100 percent right, he has always tried to inspire, encourage and create inclusivity."

Chris Haward, director of the Cricket Regulator, emphasised the significance of leadership in maintaining an inclusive culture in cricket.

"There is no place for discrimination in cricket and normalisation of discriminatory language through this kind of conduct is unacceptable. Where such instances are identified they will be investigated and those responsible will be held to account.

"The Regulator fully endorses the CDC’s observation that the culture in any organisation is heavily influenced by those who lead that organisation and so it is especially incumbent on all senior leaders to set the right tone. In this instance, Grant Bradburn failed to meet expectations."

Haward also commended Glamorgan for their cooperation and acknowledged those who came forward to report the misconduct.

Glamorgan chief executive Dan Cherry reinforced the club’s firm stance against discrimination.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour so as soon as issues were pointed out to us we acted swiftly to protect those affected and show a strong line against poor behaviours that do not reflect the club’s values."

Cherry expressed confidence in the club’s processes, stating that the reporting system allowed affected individuals to speak up.

Bradburn, who was appointed on a three-year deal in January 2024, previously served as head coach of Scotland between 2014 and 2018 before moving on to become Pakistan’s fielding coach.

He later signed a two-year contract as Pakistan’s head coach in May 2023, but his tenure was short-lived as he departed later that year following the team’s failure to reach the World Cup semi-finals.