John Blain Calls for Inquiry into Scottish Cricket Racism Allegations

John Blain, the former Scotland and Yorkshire fast bowler, has called for a "full and transparent inquiry" into the country's cricket authorities after being cleared of racist behavior allegations. Blain was accused by former teammates Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh of using a racist slur during a tour of Kenya in 2007.

Following a year-long investigation, the allegations against Blain were dismissed. However, Cricket Scotland and sportscotland failed to make the findings public. Blain has now criticized the process and his accusers, questioning the legitimacy of the ECB sanction imposed on him based on the same allegations.

Blain expressed disbelief that Haq and Sheikh would make such accusations, given his support for them throughout their careers. He also highlighted the contradictory evidence of four other witnesses that contradicted Haq's account.

Blain's case is one of several that stemmed from an independent review in July 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist. The review led to the resignation of the board. However, the vast majority of incidents cited in the review have also been dismissed.

Blain has called for a full inquiry to address the "kangaroo court" handling of his case and the broader issues of racism in Scottish cricket. He believes that Cricket Scotland is "running scared" of the "anti-racist" cabal that has influenced the sport.

An ECB spokesperson defended the CDC process, stating that Blain had been given every opportunity to defend himself. However, Blain maintains that the process was flawed and that the ECB's verdict against him is now unsafe.

Tags: #CricketScotland, #Racism, #JohnBlain, #MajidHaq, #QasimSheikh