We need to root out racism from every sport
By Foysol Choudhury
Qasim Sheikh, former Scotland international cricketer, has advised people to ‘think twice’ before speaking out about discrimination in sport.
This comes after Sheikh, and fellow former Scotland international Majid Haq, came forward with horrifying reports of discrimination. This then, in part, instigated an independent review into racism in Scottish cricket.
The ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report, commissioned by sportscotland and undertaken by Plan4Sport, found in July 2022 that Cricket Scotland, the organisation which provides governance and leadership in the sport, was institutionally racist. The report mapped 448 identified instances against indicators of institutional racism. These indicators include both structural issues, for example, Cricket Scotland failed the indicator on ensuring that selection processes are fair, as well as cultural issues, for example, Cricket Scotland failed the indicator on ensuring that racially-aggravated language is not normalised.
Another indicator failed by Cricket Scotland is that leadership within the organisation should lead on, and be responsible for, tackling racism. Even now, after the report’s publication, it is evident to me that they are not doing enough to meet this indicator. After speaking out about his experiences of discrimination within the sport, Sheikh has now detailed the abuse he has since experienced on social media. Such is the extent of this abuse, that he gave this advice to others facing discrimination in sport to ‘think twice’ before speaking out.
Cricket Scotland should be proactively speaking out against the abuse faced by Sheikh and others associated with the organisation, including players, former players and umpires. Doing so would set the precedent that there has been a culture shift within Scottish cricket and that Cricket Scotland, as the governing organisation, will no longer accept the perpetuation of racism and discrimination within the sport. It would show, in accordance with that indicator which they had previously failed, that Cricket Scotland was now leading on speaking out against abuse in the sport and was taking responsibility to ensure that safeguards are in place to prevent future abuse. This would encourage victims of abuse to come forward and it would hold those responsible for perpetrating it accountable.
Yet, there seems to have been largely silence on such issues by Cricket Scotland. That silence is palpable. It sets the tone that, in the year since the report was published, not much has changed in the way they view victims who speak out. Sheikh has previously highlighted how, after trying to speak out about racist abuse in the sport, he was told to ‘count himself lucky’ and was demeaned as a ‘troublemaker’. Cricket Scotland’s lack of action on Sheikh’s ongoing abuse sadly does nothing to redefine their previous approach and further pushes victims’ experiences underground. If the abuse is allowed to continue, unchecked by Cricket Scotland as the governing body, I fear that people may be afraid to speak up about their experiences and that this problem of institutional racism at Cricket Scotland could be exacerbated, not resolved.
Whilst some recommendations made by the report have been met by Cricket Scotland, this has not gone far enough, with enough effort. Cricket Scotland must go beyond doing the bare minimum it needs to meet the recommendations and instead proactively engage with communities on the report’s findings to build trust and understanding. This problem doesn’t need a tick-box exercise in PR. It needs concrete, immediate action. Unless Cricket Scotland takes ownership over the Changing the Boundaries report’s findings and take a proactive leadership role in de-rooting the sport of the culture which has enabled racism and discrimination, their reports on the progress of this issue will not be worth the paper they are written on.
The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) has recently delivered the findings of its investigation, which concluded that racism is also widespread in English and Welsh cricket. Whilst there have been clear failings at the organisational level in Cricket Scotland, this ICEC report makes it clear that racism is a wider problem in the sport in general. Indeed, reports of issues within Scottish Rugby and Scottish Football demonstrate that this is a problem in sport in general and needs to be addressed as such.
Within cricket, Running out Racism’s recently published letter to the CEOs of Cricket Scotland and sportscotland and the Minister for Sport asked to see more collaboration between Cricket Scotland and the England and Wales Cricket Board. This would build a shared understanding over how to reduce racism and increase a culture of equality, tolerance and respect within the sport. They have said this is also an opportunity, however, to ensure that change is made at a higher level, to ensure scrutiny and safeguarding in all sports in Scotland. Running out Racism have raised concerns over governing bodies having both a promotor and regulator role in their sport, and the effect this could have on effectively ‘covering up’ problems. They’ve called for the Scottish Government and sportscotland to review how sport in Scotland should be held accountable and how safeguards are put in place to prevent and tackle problems like racism and discrimination.
Sport should be a space which fosters inclusion, diversity and acceptance, a place where there is accountability and people can raise their concerns. It should be a place where children and adults alike can go to develop skills, hobbies and social networks, an outlet and a form of enjoyment rather than a space for persecution. Action is needed now. I welcome Running out Racism’s recommendations and also call on Cricket Scotland, sportscotland and the Scottish Government to act to root out racism in cricket and all sport in Scotland, for the sake of all players, young athletes and Scottish society.
Foysol Choudhury is a Labour MSP for the Lothian Region.
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