Racism shame sees 22 claims investigated

Cricket Scotland to take action on allegations ++Arthur says game here will set an example ++Sheikh: This is proof of ‘deep-rooted’ issue

CRICKeT Scotland will pursue formal investigations into 22 allegations of racist behaviour arising from a shocking independent review released earlier this year.

Since the report by Plan4Sport, which found the sport’s governing body to be institutionally racist, was published in July, more people have come forward, with the number of concerns rising from 68 to 77. These include 43 allegations of racism against 27 different people, two clubs and two Regional Associations.

In total, there are 52 unique complaints, with nine considered to be non-race related.

Twenty two allegations will proceed — almost half of the total number brought forward.

A report into racism in Scottish cricket called Changing The Boundaries was published in July, having been instigated in part by the claims of former internationals Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, leading to probes into 68 individual referrals.

All complaints have been reviewed as part of an independent process led by leading sports law firm Harper MacLeod LLP, UK-wide race equality charity Sporting equals, and, where appropriate, anti-racism campaign group Running Out Racism.

Of the 43 complaints, 22 involved ‘possible rule breaches that require formal investigation’, 17 require ‘further information to be gathered in order to inform the next steps’ and four ‘should result in a constructive outcome or are paused due to ongoing legal process’.

While there is no clear timescale for the investigations, a statement for Cricket Scotland said the body was ‘committed to ensuring that these are conducted thoroughly and sensitively and, where appropriate, as quickly as possible’. A new ‘conduct in sport’ panel is also being set up to deal with disciplinary matters.

Interim chief executive of Cricket Scotland, Gordon Arthur, who was installed after the previous board resigned en masse immediately prior to the publication of Changing The Boundaries, said: ‘The report was clear in its findings and we are moving forward in making the changes required to make Scottish cricket an exemplar going forward.

‘However, we recognise that a more detailed investigation of a number of past issues is a critical part of the process in rebuilding trust and redressing mistakes of the past. Only when referrals have been investigated fully will we be able to decide what action might be taken in individual circumstances, to bring closure to those involved.

‘It is important that this work is carried out sensitively and diligently and I want to express my sincere thanks to those who have raised complaints.’

Speaking exclusively to Sportsmail, former Scotland international Sheikh said that, while this represented a positive step forward, Cricket Scotland need to continue building trust.

‘The referrals update has come out and it’s not too much of a surprise to see the numbers have gone up,’ he stated.

‘Perhaps, when the review came out in July, it maybe encouraged others to come forward. Plan4Sport had said the review would still be open for people to speak to them, so I’m not really surprised the numbers have risen.

‘The process with the referrals has been slow but it’s good to see them coming out and being clear about what they’re doing now. Being transparent is important. This all shows how deep-rooted the problems are.

‘There’s a narrative right now that me and Majid Haq are the reasons Cricket Scotland has been found to be institutionally racist and that is madness.

‘There are so many other people who have spoken to the review and there are clearly a lot more people out there who have suffered.

‘I hope everything is investigated properly and fairly and I think it will be a big moment when everything is finished and we can start moving forward.’

Paul Reddish from campaign group, Running Out Racism, agreed that trust was now essential for all parties to move on.

He told Sportsmail that ‘dealing with the issues of the past is critical to rebuilding trust in the sport’.

‘We can only move forward if those who have been impacted now see meaningful attempts to redress past errors,’ he said.

‘We are pleased to see that a number of referrals made to Cricket Scotland from Plan4Sport will be investigated formally.

‘We will do all we can to support complainants in the process Cricket Scotland have put in place.’