Scotland cricket team should be banned from all tournaments

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Cricket Scotland is “institutionally racist”, an independent review into allegations of racism against the sports body has found.

The damning report published this week, was described as a “wake up call for Scottish sport” and found 448 examples of institutional racism.

However, despite the board having resigned, it is the need of the hour that this issue is thoroughly addressed by the concerned authorities and sports bodies.

Despite the serious allegations, it has come to our notice that the Scotland Cricket Team is still actively competing in tournaments.

According to Cricket Scotland’s interim CEO, Gordon Arthur, “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.” But are we really going to allow Scottish players to get away with being silent and propagating a culture of discrimination against their co-players?

The answer is very simple. The Scotland Cricket Team should be pulling out of the upcoming qualifiers until full criminal investigations against everyone accused has taken place.

This must be done not only to bring justice to those who have suffered at the hands of racist organisations, leaders and players for such a long time, but to also set a strong example for future heads and governing bodies about the implications of their actions.

It is no surprise that the cricket world has been taken by a storm after the review was released on Monday. Taken as part of the wider historical context, Cricket Scotland has done nothing but hold on to a fort exuding white supremacy and stark discrimination against those who serve it.

But there is another lesson we can learn from the events that have unfolded in the last week related to Cricket Scotland, and that is the importance of “the legacy of resistance – through Asian Youth Movements in the 1970s, the self-defence of the Bradford 12 in the 1980s and anti-racist protests against fascists”, as mentioned by Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan.

Manzoor-Khan also adds that “these movements of working-class people of colour independently mobilising and building solidarities to fight imperialism and racism remind us that true change has never come from waiting or relying on the powers that be.Repainting the boundary lines on a pitch built by empire and racism is not enough. We must upturn the entire grounds”.

So, in order to ensure change, uprooting the whole system and putting new rules in place after holding everyone accountable, even those who remain silent, will truly pave the way for a better future for players of colour. This not only involves executives at the top, but also players and administration who were equally part of the toxic culture at Cricket Scotland.
We call the Government of Scotland to ensure thorough investigation into each incident and take the matter with earnest intent. No sportsperson in the UK should have to go through this and proper systems have to be set in place to ensure strict action against those who are racist sand give people of colour more representation and voice in the world of sports.