Cricket Scotland urged to clarify situation around racism allegations made against John Blain

Campaign group Running Out Racism has called on Cricket Scotland to clarify the situation surrounding racism allegations against former international player John Blain.

Blain last week shared communication which he received in January from then Cricket Scotland chief executive Pete Fitzboydon, which states that an independent investigation had decided that “allegations have not been founded, and there is not any case to answer, and so this matter is now considered closed”.

However, the independent investigating team subsequently clarified its role had been to “make findings of fact” and not to pronounce guilt or innocence against any person.

Running Out Racism claims it was told investigations were still ongoing and that Cricket Scotland has subsequently provided the group with a “contradictory account of the situation and Blain’s claims”.

A statement read: “It has been our policy for some time not to comment on investigation cases as they are in progress, and that was tested last week as we watched victims of racism vilified in the press, as the governing body did nothing in response.

“As far as we are concerned they are still in progress. As at that point, none of the multiple complainants we are supporting were told of the final outcomes of their complaint, and the reasons for the outcomes. As things stand, that is still the case for at least one complainant in the allegations made against Mr Blain.

“Although Mr Blain has chosen in his press coverage to target two individuals, there are multiple complainants who have made allegations around his conduct beyond those two individuals.

“They all deserve an explanation as to what is going on from Cricket Scotland, and a clarification on whether or not Cricket Scotland has found their allegations to be false, as is being claimed.

“To hear that Cricket Scotland had written to Mr Blain in January to say that the allegations were unfounded came as a huge shock, particularly as we were still awaiting news some months later.

“The definition of unfounded is without basis or untrue, and for that reason you can see why Mr Blain seems to think he was cleared.

“And yet that contradicts what we have been told. We have been told that he hasn’t been ‘cleared’ but that in the multiple cases we were supporting that they could not take action as they didn’t have the rules or jurisdiction to take them to a conduct panel.”

The statement added: “Whilst they have been silent, the narrative has been allowed to build that the complainants made false allegations.

“They must now address this – they cannot say one thing to Mr Blain and another to the complainants.

“Have they cleared Mr Blain, on the basis the allegations are ‘unfounded’, or are they unable to take the case further due to their own incompetence and poor structures at the time of the incidents?”

The investigation into Blain is one of many that stemmed from referrals made as a result of an independent review which found hundreds of examples of racism within Scottish cricket.

Cricket Scotland told Sky Sports News it will not be commenting at this time.

Former Yorkshire bowler Blain claimed ex-Scotland team-mates Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh had made “false and disgraceful accusations” against him.

The pair’s lawyer, Aamer Anwar, last week said: “Both Majid and Qasim remain victims of racism who continue to be abused, vilified and excluded for daring to speak out.

“My clients were subjected to all the various versions of racism that can be practised but are yet to see any real action in response.

“Cricket Scotland hoped this matter would simply go away. It will not, as they will see in the coming days.”