‘Sent home in shame... all because I told the truth’
Ordeal of cricketer who called out racism
IT WAS supposed to be the highlight of his career, representing Scotland at the Cricket World Cup.
But for Majid Haq it was the beginning of the end of his career after he was sent home from the event in March 2015.
After failing to be selected for the match against Sri Lanka in Hobart, Australia, he took to Twitter saying: ‘Always tougher when you’re in the minority! #colour #race’.
It was a comment that would see him marginalised by the game he loves and by a country he had served with aplomb.
After being vindicated in a damning report yesterday, which found Scottish cricket’s governing body was ‘institutionally racist’, Mr Haq recalled how this moment was ‘one of the toughest things’ he had ever had to endure.
The 39-year-old said: ‘For myself to be sent home for a factually correct tweet was a sign of institutional racism and how people of colour are treated differently and a lot more harshly to white counterparts.’
In the hours after his now infamous tweet, Mr Haq was led to the airport by his team manager and was on the next flight home.
He described himself as already having suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, which were only exacerbated following his removal from the squad.
He said: ‘Cricket was my passion and my career. For me not to be offered a second chance was a textbook example of how a person of colour is treated. The punishment certainly didn’t fit the crime for a generic tweet that told the truth. I was treated like a criminal and sent home in shame.’
Mr Haq drew a comparison with fellow Scottish cricketer Kyle Coetzer, who was dropped
‘Showed exactly how white privilege works’
from the national squad and also criticised the decision on social media.
But, rather than be sent back home on the next flight, Cricket Scotland performed a U-turn on the decision and in less than 24 hours he was reinstated into the squad.
Mr Haq said this had shown him ‘exactly how white privilege works’.
Following his return home he was cornered by the head coach, the team captain, the chairman and board of directors to explain his tweet, which he repeatedly told them was how he felt. The group ordered him to delete it, which he eventually did after receiving a threatening email from the performance director.’
Yesterday, the unsavoury events leading up to Mr Haq’s tweet were revealed.
The cricketer had specifically asked to have tuna and cheese sandwiches kept separately from the pork and bacon sandwiches because of his religious requirements, which was not done.
He raised it with the head coach who ‘did not seem too bothered about the issue’.
Mr Haq also spoke of another incident in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the head coach mocked him in front of the whole group over his driving by displaying a photograph of a busy street in Pakistan and saying ‘he should be used to driving in these sort of traffic conditions’.
Mr Haq, who was born in Paisley, has never driven in Pakistan.
During a match in May 2014, he had been told by one of his own players to ‘shut up you black b ****** ’ which was later dealt with by Cricket Scotland.
He was also told he came close to not being picked for a match after spending longer than intended at a mosque to say his Friday prayers.
After the World Cup incident, Mr Haq was also suspended for three ‘extremely long months’, but he was never reintegrated into the team.
He said: ‘I was always made to feel like a minority, an outsider. As a cricketer I had to play twice as well as a white player to stand a chance.
‘Consistent opportunities were given to white cricketers that were clear and obvious, while I was removed and excluded in a deliberate attempt to damage my confidence. What happened has been extremely upsetting for my family.
Playing cricket and performing at the highest level for Scotland meant everything to me.
‘My career is gone but I hope future generations will never have to suffer the way I did.’
His fellow cricketer Qasim Sheikh, 37, suffered similar experiences while playing for his country, and even as a teenager.
Mr Sheikh had his first experience of racism in cricket when an opposing player called him a ‘P*** b ****** ’. While playing for the national side later in life he was frequently referred to by those around him as ‘you lot’. This was passed off as ‘banter’ at the time.
After scoring a first class century in Pakistan at a professional level he was selected for World Cup qualifiers in South Africa with the Scotland side.
But, according to Mr Sheikh, this was completely ‘tokenistic’ and he was made to carry drinks for the whole tour apart from one game at the end.
He said: ‘I became a running joke amongst players and I was humiliated and treated as their personal servant.
‘When I complained I was told “You should count yourself lucky you are here” by a coach and other players. If I raised my voice I was told I was a troublemaker.’
At the age of 24 he produced back-to-back hundreds against both Ireland and Kenya but was subsequently dropped from the national team just six months later.
Mr Sheikh said: ‘It broke my heart, I gave my all to play for my country. My parents did everything to support me. Little did I know at 25 I would never play again. I tried to discuss this with my coaches but was ignored.’
After going to the media about his anguish, he was labelled the ‘bad guy of Scottish Cricket’ and shunned by the sport’s community, which Mr Sheikh described as leaving him in a ‘lonely place’ and caused his mental health to suffer.
He was then told to publicly apologise by his coach and an article with the headline ‘Sheikh eats humble pie’ was published.
He said: ‘This can’t happen to others. It’s time for change and it’s time for change starting now. I want everyone, and I mean everyone, to have equal opportunities.’
Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, yesterday described the report into racism at Cricket Scotland ‘shocking’.