Paid contracts for women’s international team is a ‘watershed moment’ for Cricket Scotland

Cricket Scotland chair Anjan Luthra yesterday hailed a "watershed moment" after the governing body announced paid contracts will be offered to players in the women's international team for the first time.

The organisation said the move will "enable a number of players to devote more time to training" as Cricket Scotland takes steps towards a professional women's game.

The development came as part of a broader announcement about changes within the governing body which was found to be institutionally racist in a damning report earlier this year.

Luthra, who was hired last month as the organisation looks to rebuild, said that yesterday’s news was a key step in the bid to "make cricket in Scotland a fully inclusive sport".

"This a watershed moment for the sport of cricket in Scotland," Luthra said.

"The investment announced today into the women's game is an important building block in our desire to make cricket in Scotland a fully inclusive sport where there is no place for racism, discrimination or inequalities.

"We have an opportunity to create a bold new vision for our Scottish cricket and we are committed to doing so by driving positive change at every level within our sport.

"At the same time, we are rebuilding capacity within the governing body and addressing the weaknesses and failings identified through the Changing the Boundaries report so that we build a firstclass governing body for Scottish cricket."

Cricket Scotland also announced that interim chief executive Gordon Arthur will remain in position until November 2023. A recruitment process for a permanent CEO will take place next year.

Arthur said: "We need to reset and rebuild to ensure that we are in the strongest possible position to deliver real and meaningful change across Scottish cricket. This won't be without challenges but we have a great opportunity to take the sport confidently forward in the years ahead.

"I would like to thank all staff for their hard work and contribution to the sport during this difficult period. I understand that this will be an uncertain period for many staff but we will do everything we can to support them at this time."