Retired Scotland Seam Bowler Exonerated After Year-Long Probe into Racism Allegations
John Blain, the former Scotland and Yorkshire fast bowler, has called for a “full and transparent inquiry” into the country’s cricket authorities after being cleared of allegations of racist behavior in January. The 38-year-old, who played 118 matches across formats for Scotland, was accused by his former team-mates, Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, of using a racial slur during a tour of Kenya in 2007.
Following a year-long investigation carried out jointly by two law firms and Sporting Equals, the race inclusion charity, the claim has been rejected. Cricket Scotland’s interim CEO Pete Fitzboydon wrote to Blain on January 12, confirming that the allegations against him were “unfounded” and that no further action would be taken.
“It’s obvious to me that, rather than publish this very clear and detailed judgement which fully exonerates me, Cricket Scotland is once again running scared of the small ‘anti-racist’ cabal which has exerted such a malign influence over our sport,” he wrote in a scathing post on X/Twitter.
Blain’s case was one of numerous referrals that stemmed from an independent review in July 2022, which found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist and led to the resignation of the board. The former player expressed disbelief that his accusers, Haq and Sheikh, would make “such false and disgraceful accusations” after he had supported them during their careers.
Furthermore, Blain believes the inquiry’s findings call into question the legitimacy of his ECB sanction – a reprimand and £2500 fine imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission in May 2023 following Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about his treatment during his time at Yorkshire. Blain, along with five other former players at the club, had refused to participate in the ECB’s “irredeemably flawed” process.
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