Photo Credit: Cricket Scotland
Global equality and diversity (EDI) experts, Plan4Sport, were appointed by Scotland’s national agency for sport, sportscotland, in December 2021 to carry out a full independent review of racism within Scottish cricket.
The review was launched following allegations of racism, inequalities and discrimination within the sport and Plan4Sport were brought in due to their expertise and widespread experience in this area.
The multi-disciplinary company employs a skilled and diverse team of specialist staff supported by a wider group of expert consultants, with a combined total of 150 years of experience working across all levels of the sport sector.
A team of nine consultants, all equality, diversity and inclusion experts from a variety of different backgrounds including governance, safeguarding and child protection, global leadership on EDI, professional and grassroots community sport have been working on the review.
To date they have spoken to more than 200 people with several hundred more completing an anonymous online survey.
This interim report provides an update on progress and identified actions over the coming months.
Scope of the review
The independent review has been asked to cover five key areas:
- In-depth consultation and engagement with individuals and organisations at all levels of Scottish cricket
- The creation of a confidential space for individuals to share their personal experiences with follow up support and signposting provided
- A comprehensive review of existing Cricket Scotland policies and procedures in line with equality, diversity and inclusion best practice
- Production of a full public report with associated recommendations for Cricket Scotland to address, held to account by sportscotland
- Further community engagement with those affected by racism ahead of publication of the full recommendations report.
Plan4Sport is due to deliver its full findings and recommendations at the end July 2022.
Central to the independent review has been the creation of a confidential space for individuals to disclose their personal experiences, which has been driving force behind people coming forward over the past four months.
Interim update on progress
At the half-way stage, the review has:
- Engaged directly with more than 200 people
- Completed a desktop review of Cricket Scotland policies and procedures and passed to CS to action with an independent legal practice (Harper Macleod)
- Carried out 1-2-1 interviews with Cricket Scotland staff, national squad players and board members both past and present
- Launched an anonymous online survey to capture further experiences with more than 200 responses to date
- Identified areas of concern and themes in relation to racism, inequalities and discrimination
- Disclosures in relation to racism have been passed to independent lawyers or Police Scotland to investigate and those investigations will take place in due course
Next Steps
Over the next two months the review team will continue its detailed work in the following areas:
- Desktop review of Regional Association, club and junior development group policies
- Focus groups with Regional Association Management Committee members
- Focus groups with coaches
- Focus groups with match officials
- Focus groups with grassroots players and clubs across Scotland
- EDI training to be delivered to all Board, staff and key volunteers at CS before the end of the independent review and release of the recommendations
Name of Author: Cricket Scotland
Cricket Scotland, formerly the Scottish Cricket Union, is the governing body for cricket in Scotland, based at the National Cricket Academy in Edinburgh. Established in 1908 and restructured in 2001, it became an ICC Associate Member in 1994. The organization includes three sub-associations: the East of Scotland Cricket Association, Western District Cricket Union, and Aberdeenshire Cricket Association.
