Cricket Scotland has been institutionally racist, says independent review

Cricket Scotland has been described as 'institutionally racist' in the final report of the independent review done by has been published, as the board's interim CEO Gordon Arthur vowed to implement the recommendations in full and repair the sport. On Sunday, Cricket Scotland's entire board had resigned.

In its report published on Monday, Plan4Sport, a company commissioned by Scotland’s national agency for sport, sportscotland, revealed that over 62 percent of the responders have seen or experienced racism within the Board.

The review process included almost 1,000 direct engagements across Scottish cricket including board members, players, umpires, volunteers and staff. It found that the Board had no consistent mechanism or process for handling racist incidents and people who did raise issues were sidelined or ignored.

The review was started in January 2022 following the racism allegations within English county Yorkshire by former allrounder Azeem Rafiq which several of its board members step down from their positions of power. 

"As part of the review, 68 individual concerns have been referred for further investigation. These relate to 31 allegations of racism against 15 different people, two clubs and one

Regional Association. In some instances, multiple concerns have been raised against individuals. Some of these alleged incidents are recent while others were non-recent. These investigations will be concluded in due course," sportscotland said in an official release.

Among the key findings were a lack of diversity within the board and the Hall of Fame, lack of transparency and anti-racist training for people involved.

Apology and sanctions

"I would like to again issue a heartfelt apology to all those who have been the victims of racism and discrimination in Scottish cricket. We recognise the impact this will have had on individuals and their families. We hope the report provides them with some reassurance that their voices have been heard, and we are sorry this did not happen sooner," Interim CEO Gordon Arthur said.

Cricket Scotland has been placed under special measures by sportscotland until October, 2023. 

According to the three high-level recommendations made by Plan4Sport's "Changing The Boundaries" review, the board will begin immediate recruitment of independent Board members which must include 40 percent women and a minimum of 25 percent members belonging to minority and ethnic groups of the country.

"This report is a watershed moment for cricket in Scotland and taking its recommendations forward is the top priority. It’s clear that significant cultural change must happen and it must happen quickly. The immediate priority must be to get the independent referral process agreed and implemented so the investigations into the referrals can start," Arthur said.

Additionally, the national sports body has also suspended Western District Cricket Union (WDCU) from conducting disciplinary actions related to domestic competitions and clubs.

"We are resolute on building and fostering a culture of inclusivity within the sport of cricket where racism and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, where everyone is welcome and has access to equal opportunities. We must address the past, repair the sport and ensure history does not repeat itself and we will need everyone’s commitment to make this change happen," Arthur said.