Photo Credit: Cricket Scotland
The independent review into racism in Scottish cricket’s final report has been published, with Cricket Scotland vowing to implement the recommendations in full and repair the sport as its top priority.
Global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion experts, Plan4Sport, were commissioned by Scotland’s national agency for sport, sportscotland, to lead the detailed independent review in December 2021. The process started in January.
Publication of the report follows an in-depth consultation exercise involving hundreds of people from across all levels of Scottish cricket including grassroots players, staff, national squad players, board members, coaches, regional association management committee members and match officials.
Cricket Scotland Interim Chief Executive Officer, Gordon Arthur, said: “The racism and discrimination that has taken place in the sport that we all love should never have been allowed to happen, or to go unchallenged for so long.
“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.
“I thank and acknowledge each and every person who bravely came forward to contribute to the review. I know this won’t have been easy, but the contributions have been essential to start setting cricket back on course. We would also like to thank Plan4Sport and sportscotland, who have worked tirelessly over the past seven months to get us to this point. We are incredibly grateful for the expertise and compassion shown throughout this process. It’s also imperative that we recognise the individuals who spoke out against racism and brought these serious problems to light and, despite their own suffering, continue to campaign for a fairer future for the sport. Thank you for all you’ve done.
“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.
“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.”
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.
