Cricket Scotland found institutionally racist: Here's all we know
On Sunday, the cricket board of Scotland resigned with immediate effect after an independent investigation found the board institutionally racist. As per ESPNcricinfo, as many as 448 examples of institutional racism were highlighted in the report named 'Changing the Boundaries', produced by consultancy firm Plan4Sport. As a result, SportScotland has taken control of Cricket Scotland. It will form a board by September this year.
Why does this story matter?
The independent review was carried out after Majid Haq, Scotland's leading wicket-taker, in November 2021, alleged that Cricket Scotland was "institutionally racist". His statements came after Azeem Rafiq highlighted that he faced racism during his days in county cricket. Like Haq, Qasim Sheikh revealed that he was racially abused. As a result of the findings, Cricket Scotland has been placed into special measures.
Cricket Scotland board members resigned
Cricket Scotland board members resigned after the report found them to be institutionally racist. "We are all truly sorry and have apologized publicly to everyone who has experienced racism, or any other form of discrimination, in cricket in Scotland," the board wrote. "This is the start of another long journey to overhaul and modernize the governance of the sport to ensure its continued success."
The findings of the report
The investigation by Plan4Sport had the testimony of nearly 1,000 participants across all Scottish cricket. It outlined 68 individual concerns, including "31 allegations of racism against 15 different people, two clubs, and one regional association". Notably, some of the allegations have been termed hate crimes. In total, there were 448 examples of institutional racism in the report.
Other allegations mentioned in the report
Besides racial abuse, the allegations in the report also include "inappropriate language, favoritism to white children from public-school backgrounds and a lack of transparency in selection for non-white players". As per ESPNcricinfo, a survey conducted during the investigation for the report revealed that "62% of respondents had experienced, seen or received reports of racism or other forms of discrimination".
Cricket Scotland's interim CEO apologizes
As per Cricket Scotland's interim CEO, Gordon Arthur, the findings of the report are a "watershed" moment for the sport. He issued a "heartfelt apology to all those who have been the victims of racism and discrimination in Scottish cricket". Meanwhile, Louise Tideswell, the managing director of Plan4Sport, lavished praise on those who managed to present their stories.
What are the recommendations of the report?
According to the recommendations of the report, the recruitment to the board should not involve more than a "60-40 gender ratio either way". A minimum of 25% of members should be from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Other accounts of racism in cricket
Racism in cricket goes beyond Cricket Scotland! Last year, England's Ollie Robinson was suspended from international cricket after his tweets from 2012 and 2013, deemed racist in nature, resurfaced. In 2020, South Africa's Ashwell Prince claimed that many players received racist slurs during the 2005 Australian tour. Several other cricketers, including Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, have broken silence on racism in the past.
