Top player is charged in wake of cricket race probe
Former star set to face court over assault claim
POLICE investigating claims of racism in cricket have charged a former first-class Scottish player with alleged assault, the Mail can reveal.
Graham Gardner, 56, who played for Stenhousemuir and the national team, is due in court in October.
It comes as a damning report by Scottish cricket’s governing body found the sport is ‘institutionally racist’ and unfairly favours white people from privileged backgrounds. It found Cricket Scotland failed 29 out of 31 indicators of institutional racism, and only partially passed the other two tests.
Chief Inspector Jim McMillan, of Police Scotland’s equality and diversity division, said: ‘Officers have been liaising with the investigating team [who looked at racism claims in Scottish cricket] and will continue to engage as necessary.
‘Anyone who wishes to report a crime, regardless of when it occurred, is encouraged to do so with the confidence it will be investigated thoroughly.’
An independent probe into Cricket Scotland published on Monday uncovered a litany of racist behaviour throughout the game, one of the most popular participation sports in the country.
The 52-page dossier revealed investigators found 448 examples of institutional racism.
It came after former Scotland players Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh alleged they had been subjected to unchecked racist abuse within the game.
The entire board of Cricket Scotland resigned on Sunday, 24 hours before the findings were published. The sporting body will be placed in ‘special measures’, with sportscotland effectively taking control until October 2023.
The allegations include racial abuse, use of inappropriate language and the lack of a transparent selection process.
Some 62 per cent of respondents to a survey had experienced, seen or received reports of racism or other forms of discrimination.
The report, carried out by consultancy firm Plan4Sport, also revealed 68 individual concerns had been referred for further investigation, including 31 allegations of racism against 15 people, two clubs and one regional association.
There was also found to be a lack of any equality, diversity and inclusion or anti-racist training for board members, staff, volunteers, players, coaches or umpires.
Last night cricketer Willie Donald, a former Scotland player and ex-Cricket Scotland president, said the race report could have gone further.
Mr Donald told the Press and Journal newspaper he was not interviewed for the review, despite being Cricket Scotland’s interim chief executive in 2015 and also serving on the board from 2017-2021, with two of those years as president.
He said: ‘It seems Plan4Sport only interviewed the current board and, given that Majid Haq’s complaint about how he was treated in 2015 started this process, it might have been pertinent to talk to board members going back at least that far.’
Cricket Scotland could be stripped of its public funding – it received £460,000 last year from sportscotland – should it fail to properly respond to the review.
Last night it emerged the Scottish Football Association has written to clubs warning that players or officials found guilty of racist or discriminatory behaviour will be hit with a minimum ten-match ban.
Sports Minister Maree Todd is demanding ‘swift and decisive action’ after the cricket review.