John Blain reinstated to Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame after racism allegations cleared

Former Scotland seamer John Blain has been reinstated to the Cricket Scotland Hall of Fame, nearly four years after his honour was suspended following allegations of racism.

Blain, 47, represented Scotland 118 times during a 13-year international career and was originally inducted into the Hall of Fame in May 2019. However, his membership was “temporarily suspended” in July 2022 after former team-mates Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh accused him of using a racist slur during a tour of Kenya in 2007.

The allegations surfaced amid a wider crisis within Cricket Scotland after an independent review in 2022 concluded that the governing body was institutionally racist. The report triggered sweeping changes within the organisation, including the resignation of the entire Cricket Scotland board.

Blain was also separately charged with racism by the England and Wales Cricket Board in connection with the Yorkshire racism case that followed Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about discrimination at the county. In March 2023, he was among six former players found guilty by the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission.

However, in January 2024 Cricket Scotland informed Blain that the allegations against him were “unfounded” and that there was no case to answer following its investigation.

Following his reinstatement, Blain said the decision was deeply meaningful after what he described as a difficult period for him and his family.

“I am enormously grateful to the many people who stood by me since I was falsely accused of racism,” Blain said in a statement. “Representing my country 118 times was the greatest honour of my life, and being removed from the Hall of Fame was one of the biggest blows I experienced.”

Blain also thanked the Hall of Fame committee, chaired by Cricket Scotland president Omar Henry, for its support.

Cricket Scotland confirmed that Blain’s reinstatement is subject to his completion of board-approved equality, diversity and inclusion training.

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