Former Scotland seamer John Blain has been restored to Cricket Scotland’s Hall of Fame, four years after his honour was suspended.
Blain, now 47, represented Scotland 118 times over a 13-year international career, including an appearance at the 1999 World Cup. He was originally inducted into the Hall of Fame in May 2019, but his status was “temporarily suspended” in July 2022 following allegations from former team-mates Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh that he had used a racist slur during a 2007 tour of Kenya.
At the time, Cricket Scotland did not publicly detail the reasoning behind the suspension. Blain’s case was among several referrals arising from an independent review published in July 2022, which concluded that the governing body was institutionally racist and prompted the resignation of its board.
In a separate development, Blain was charged with racism by the ECB after Azeem Rafiq’s disclosures regarding his treatment at Yorkshire. He was one of six former players found guilty in March 2023.
However, in January 2024, Cricket Scotland informed Blain that the allegations against him had been deemed “unfounded” and that there was no case to answer. He subsequently called for a public inquiry, stating that Cricket Scotland’s findings had “fatally undermined” the ECB process.
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Blain Responds to Reinstatement
Following his reinstatement, Blain released a statement expressing gratitude for the support he had received.
“I am enormously grateful to the many, many people who have stood by me since I was falsely accused of racism.
“Representing my country 118 times was the greatest honour of my life, and the decision almost four years ago to remove me from the Scottish Cricket Hall of Fame was one of the biggest blows during a very challenging period for me and my family.
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“Thankfully I was cleared after a lengthy process in which I provided extensive supportive evidence.”
Blain also described cricket as a “force for good in Scotland, bringing together players from many different backgrounds”, and acknowledged the “leadership and moral courage” of the Hall of Fame Committee, chaired by Cricket Scotland president Omar Henry.
“The unanimous decision of the Cricket Scotland Board to reinstate me, means more than I can express,” he added. “The game of cricket gave me my livelihood and instilled in me the values of hard work, integrity, teamwork and fair play. It’s also blessed me with countless friendships, amongst team-mates and opponents alike.”
Cricket Scotland confirmed that the suspension has been lifted, subject to Blain completing board-approved equality, diversity and inclusion training.
