middlesex chairman mike o farrell has apologised for comments on black and south asian interest in cricket that were called painful and outdated by ex england player ebony rainford brent. he was speaking at a digital, culture, media and sport select committee hearing into how cricket plans to tackle racism. this is what he had to say. the other thing in the diversity bit is that the football and rugby world becomes much more attractive to the afro caribbean community and, in terms of the south asian community, we are finding that they do not want necessarily to commit the same time that is necessary to go to the same step, because they sometimes prefer to go into other educational fields, and then cricket becomes secondary and part of that is it is a rather more time consuming sport than some others.