According to an independent investigation, there has been “institutional racism” in the top management of the Scottish Cricket Association for years.
As the final report shows, there were a total of 448 examples of institutional racism within the association. Former internationals Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh launched the investigation via “Sportscotland” with their allegations a year ago.
Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, described the findings of the inquiry as “the most damning verdict ever passed on a sporting body in the UK”. Large sections of the Cricket Association’s board resigned following the publication of the inquiry’s report. The independent commission recognized a “culture of racially motivated micro-aggressions”, 29 out of 31 indicators of institutional racism had struck in the survey.
Allegations include racial slurs, use of inappropriate language, favoritism for white children from public schools, and lack of a transparent selection process. “The racism and discrimination that has taken place in the sport we all love should never have been allowed to go unchallenged for so long,” said interim governor Gordon Arthur.
He could only “ask for an apology”. Haq and Sheikh were no longer nominated for the national team after their allegations were published. “We were labeled as liars,” said Haq, making the relief all the greater.