����ý

Essex have been charged over allegations relating to racist language or conduct at the club between 2001 and 2010.

The charges have been brought by the Cricket Regulator, accusing Essex of breaching England and Wales Cricket Board directive 3.3.

It states that "no participant may conduct themself in a manner, do any act or make any omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

Essex say they have co-operated fully with the regulator and would continue to do so.

The case will now be heard by an independent Cricket Discipline Commission and the club said in a statement that they would "participate willingly".

The statement added: "There will be no further comment from the club at this time."

A report by Katharine Newton KC, published last December following an inquiry ordered by Essex, said that a number of former players were victims of "racist abuse and discriminatory treatment" during their time on the staff at Chelmsford.

It did not refer to any player by name but Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif were among those whose allegations prompted the inquiry.

The report said that the complaints related to a period from the mid 1990s to 2013 and they reflected a dressing room culture which regarded ethnic, racial and religious comments as "banter".

"Those at the receiving end of this treatment were too scared to speak up for fear of damaging their prospects of selection and progression," the report continued.

Following the report's publication club chairman Anu Mohindru said "fundamental errors" had been made in the past which did not reflect "the Essex of today".