An independent review into Scottish cricket has found widespread evidence of institutional racism within the governance and organisation of the sport.
The report, undertaken following complaints of institutional racism by Scotland internationals Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, revealed a staggering 448 indicators of discriminatory behaviour upon its publication.
Both Haq – Scotland's second-highest ODI wicket-taker of all time – and Sheikh alleged institutional racism had impacted their careers in November 2021, with the review being set up the following month.
Equality and diversity group Plan4Sport carried out the review on behalf of funding body SportScotland, and found "a lack of any equality, diversity and inclusion or anti-racist training for board, staff, volunteers, players, coaches or umpires, no consistent mechanism for handling racist incidents, [and] a general lack of diversity and a lack of transparency in the selection processes".
Of 31 'tests' used to measure the extent of the problem, the game's governing body Cricket Scotland failed 29.
On Sunday, Cricket Scotland's entire board resigned ahead of the publication of the report.
With the review's findings revealed in full on Monday, Cricket Scotland's interim chief executive Gordon Arthur pledged to implement its recommendations, which included diversity quotas for the organisation's new board, in full.
"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," Arthur said in a statement.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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."
New Zealand take unassailable series lead after hard-fought victory over Pakistan
Pakistan slumped to a four-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand despite the efforts of Abbas Afridi and Fakhar Zaman.
The Black Caps took an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series, thanks in the main to Tim Robinson (51) and bowling duo William O'Rourke (3-27) and Ben Sears (2-27) on Thursday.
Set a target of 179 to win, Pakistan looked on their way to victory when Fakhar Zaman got going, but he was eventually dismissed on 61 by Sears.
Abbas took three wickets in New Zealand's innings, yet he could only contribute a single run to Pakistan's cause as the hosts fell just short in Lahore.
Data Debrief
Shadab Khan did not bowl a single delivery for Pakistan, which is the first time that has happened in a completed T20I innings.
He did take an exceptional catch to dismiss Mark Chapman, but it was not enough to inspire Pakistan.
IPL: Kohli and Patidar star to snap RCB's losing streak
Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended a six-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League by claiming a convincing 35-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Bengaluru still sit bottom of the standings, but have reason to cheer after Virat Kohli's 51 and Rajat Patidar's 20-ball 50 got the job done in style on Thursday.
Cameron Green chipped in with a useful 37 as RCB reached 206-7 from their 20 overs, and the Australian then took 2-12 with the ball as the Sunrisers failed to get going.
Shahbaz Ahmed top scored for Sunrisers with 40 not-out, but it was not enough as they only mustered 171-8 in response.
Data Debrief
Thursday's match marked Jaydev Unadkat's 100th in the IPL, and though he finished on the losing side, he did take a memorable three-for to celebrate the occasion.
It was Unadkat who dismissed Kohli, Patidar and Mahipal Lomror, finishing with figures of 3-30.
CAS reduces John Campbell’s four-year suspension to 22 months
Jamaican and West Indies batsman John Campbell has received a reduction of two years and two months from his four-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) ruled in his favor, on Thursday.
The 30-year-old will now be eligible to return to competitive cricket in July or August of this year.
Campbell was originally banned for four years by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCo) in October 2022 after failing to provide a blood sample to doping control officers in April 2022.
The ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Campbell did not deliberately try to evade and that the issue was out of negligence on Campbell’s part.
Campbell has played 20 Tests for the West Indies since making his debut against England in January 2019.
In those Tests, he scored 888 runs at an average of 26.11, including three half-centuries. His last Test was against Bangladesh in June 2022.
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