"Disingenuous and despicable attempt to rewrite history" - John Blain takes on Cricket Scotland

GEORGE DOBELL: The Cricketer understands Blain is willing to take legal action against the organisation. The statement is the latest chapter in a long-running saga between the governing body and the former seamer

George Dobell | 18/06/2024 at 17:34

John Blain has threatened legal action against Cricket Scotland and accused them of trying "to rewrite history".

Last week Blain published correspondence from Cricket Scotland's (CS) former interim CEO, Peter Fitzboydon, which he received in January suggesting that allegations of racist or discriminatory behaviour against him were "unfounded".

But this week, CS wrote to Blain again to clarify that, although further action would not be taken, it was "important you understand you were not exonerated or declared innocent by the referral investigation team."

As The Cricketer has previously reported, CS's previous Code of Conduct meant they had no jurisdiction over events which took place abroad or when individuals were employed by other organisations.

But Blain insists he was not only told by Fitzboydon (who is now CEO of Sussex CCC) that "the claims against me were unfounded" but by the current CEO of CS, Trudy Lindblade.

"This is a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt by Cricket Scotland to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name," Blain said in a statement.

"Not only did Pete Fitzboydon, the CEO of Cricket Scotland, write to me in January to say that all of the claims against me were unfounded, that I had no case to answer, and my case was closed, but that position was clearly confirmed by his successor Trudy Lindblade in a phone call with me in February.

"She reiterated on the call that the claims against me were unfounded and the case against me was closed. I am sure that, if asked, she will publicly confirm that to be the case."

When that question was put to CS, they said they do "not comment on private correspondence".

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^{John Blain has threatened legal action against Cricket Scotland (Getty Images)}

"This latest Cricket Scotland letter is a desperate attempt to re-invent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration. Unbelievably, Cricket Scotland's preposterous position now appears to be that they in fact lied to me out of consideration for my welfare!

"That simply does not stand scrutiny when you consider that they removed me publicly from the Hall of Fame, my name was publicly dragged through the mud for years with no intervention or help from them and they prevaricated for five months after writing the letter which exonerated me.

"Their position is fatally undermined by the assurances I have received from not one but TWO chief executives.

"I will now confer with my lawyers and take all steps necessary to protect my reputation in light of this extraordinary and unsustainable about-turn."

Complaints against Blain for using racist language were upheld both by Yorkshire's supposedly independent Squire, Patton, Boggs report and the ECB's Cricket Discipline Commission.

The Cricketer understands that CS were, in January, concerned about Blain's mental health. He had been quoted in the media as saying he had contemplated suicide.

Cricket Scotland's former chair Tony Brian threw his support behind Blain.

"Rather than simply admit that this entire, sorry saga, which has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to the public purse, has been irredeemably flawed and carried out to placate a small group pursuing personal and political agendas, this shameful statement tries to imply that the people who were told they have no case to answer have 'got off' on some kind of a 'technicality'." Brian said in a statement.

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^{Blain played 33 ODIs and six T20Is for Scotland between 1999 and 2008 (GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images)}

"This includes former international John Blain who was sent an unambiguous, crystal-clear letter from the Chief Executive of Cricket Scotland in January which stated: 'As advised, these allegations have not been founded, and there is not any case to answer, and so this matter is now considered closed.'

"That is, without any scintilla of doubt, a complete exoneration. This followed absolutely compelling evidence put forward by John and his lawyers proving that the allegations against him were wholly false.

"It is shameful that sportscotland, Scottish sport's taxpayer-funded national governing body, has allowed the Investigation Team to give a misleading impression to the public that John Blain has not been exonerated of the allegations made when, as sportscotland knows, and the letter of January unequivocally confirms he has been. This is presumably, to try to distract attention from the embarrassing collapse of the evidence for the report sportscotland itself commissioned.

"And, it is deeply worrying that the new Chief Executive of Cricket Scotland seems to think it is acceptable to go back on what she said only four months ago and what her predecessor put into writing only five months ago."

Meanwhile, CS released a statement expressing the somewhat optimistic hope that "reconciliation" could be achieved through "independent mediation".

"Specifically in relation to John Blain's recent media comments, the decision taken by the former Interim CEO of Cricket Scotland, to inform Mr Blain of the outcome of his cases was based on reasons we have reiterated to his legal representatives and are unable to comment on publicly," the CS statement reads.

"In the interests of clarity, Mr Blain's cases were not progressed further due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action. We have set out our position to Mr Blain and his representatives and are engaging with them directly regarding his media comments."

Wilf Walsh, chair of CS, commented: "The impact of historic racist behaviours on individual cricketers and others involved in the sport have left a long-lasting scar on our game. This has been an unacceptable and deeply regrettable period for Scottish cricket, and we are truly sorry to all those who have suffered.

"In a number of referral cases, there was either insufficient evidence to proceed, or we did not have the jurisdiction or the remit to take action and move matters into our disciplinary process based on the rules at the time of the alleged incidents. The new Board has ensured that this is remedied within our current articles of association and disciplinary procedures."

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