Senior Scottish lawyer Aamer Anwar, who represented two former cricket players who faced racist abuse, has alleged that Cricket Scotland remains ‘unfit for purpose’, reported The Times.
Anwar’s comments came after Cricket Scotland’s interim chief executive Gordon Arthur announced his decision to stand down next month.
Credited with stabilising the cricket body, Arthur was appointed last July following the publication of a report last summer that found the body to be institutionally racist.
“Despite the horrific exposure of institutional racism, Cricket Scotland’s empty soundbites today shows that it remains unfit for purpose. Both Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh are sad to see the chief executive Arthur step down, he was a man who genuinely fought for change to take place,” Anwar, who represented the former players, was quoted as saying by The Times.
“My clients, both Majid and Qasim, believe the chair has failed to deliver or inspire genuine confidence from across the sport, and they regard the process as little more than an ‘arrogant cosmetic box ticking exercise’.”
The solicitor also urged Sportscotland to step in.
Meanwhile, Cricket Scotland chair Anjan Luthra has claimed that significant progress has been made in the past six months.
“Over the past six months, significant progress has been made. In addition to saving the firm from insolvency, we have professionalised the women’s game, and significantly upgraded our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion,” Luthra said in the recently published governance review.
“This includes an update on the ‘changing the boundaries’ workstreams, but also outlines the wider issues Cricket Scotland faces. It includes the progress made to date and an update on the publication of the groundbreaking governance review, which has been published, as well as changes to the executive team.”
According to Sportscotland, cultural change can be delivered within the sport ‘only by engaging in real and meaningful consultation’.
“The final decision on whether Cricket Scotland exits special measures will be taken by Sportscotland and will be dependent on all recommendations from the changing the boundaries report being met in full,” a spokesman is reported to have said.
