Cricket Scotland apologises to racial abuse victims ahead of review publication
An independent investigation was launched after complaints made by the country's leading wicket-taker Majid Haq and former batsman Qasim Sheikh
Last updated 23rd Jul 2022
Cricket Scotland has said it is "truly sorry" to anyone who has been racially abused while playing the sport, ahead of an independent investigation being published on Monday.
A review has been conducted after Scotland's all-time leading wicket-taker Majid Haq told Sky Sports News that Cricket Scotland was "institutionally racist", while former team-mate Qasim Sheikh said he had also suffered racist abuse.
The results are expected to be published on Monday, with Aamer Anwar, the lawyer representing the two players, telling Sky the report could prove "devastating" for Cricket Scotland.
Cricket Scotland board "truly sorry"
The governing body has yet to see the report and was unwilling to speculate on the contents - but did offer an apology to anyone who has suffered from racism within the sport.
A spokesperson for Cricket Scotland said: "Cricket should be a welcoming place for everyone and not somewhere that racism or any form of discrimination takes place.
"The Cricket Scotland Board is truly sorry to everyone who has experienced racism in cricket in Scotland.
"We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has been involved in contributing to the review, however the Board is not in a position to comment on the independent review's report as we will not see it until it is published publicly on Monday."
Former Scotland batsman Qasim Sheikh says the racism he experienced while playing for his country had a serious effect on his mental health.
He told Sky Sports: "I was definitely going through depression for two or three years after playing.
"This will probably never leave me. I'm not going to go back on a pitch for Scotland again, so I'll probably be thinking about this for the rest of my days."