John Blain hits out at BBC over Qasim Sheikh role and demands Cricket Scotland inquiry

“I also note that Qasim has very recently been employed as a sports commentator by the BBC, ironically the same broadcaster which removed me from my longstanding cricket commentating role when these false allegations surfaced,” he wrote. “It will be revealing to see what action, if any, the BBC takes in light of this definitive verdict. For the record, I would be very happy to resume my duties with them.”

‘Unjust verdict’

Blain added that his exoneration by the Scottish investigation “fatally undermines” the ECB process that upheld allegations of racism against him by Azeem Rafiq while he worked at Yorkshire. Last year a Cricket Discipline Commission hearing used evidence from Haq – who it found “credible and reliable” – when upholding allegations against Blain, leading to a fine of £2,500 and a reprimand. 

Blain and five others had refused to cooperate with the process, which he described at the time as “irredeemably flawed”. Only Michael Vaughan cooperated, and he was cleared “on the balance of probabilities” of making a racist remark in 2009.

“Crucially, the in-depth Scottish investigation did not accept Majid’s allegation that I had used the P-word during a tour to Kenya in 2007,” wrote Blain. “That’s the exact same allegation the England and Wales Cricket Board panel used to support their finding against me. Majid’s false allegation was used as corroboration of Azeem Rafiq’s equally untrue allegation and was central to the ECB verdict against me, which must now be deemed unsafe.

“What’s worse, the ECB tribunal stated that because I had not engaged with their flawed process, they were entitled to conclude that I had no answer to the allegations against me. The ECB failed to take proper account of clear evidence from four different players – who each provided sworn statements that the incident had not occurred – saying their evidence was “untested”, despite the fact that Majid’s account was also completely untested. Their reasoning was lazy and made no attempt to reconcile Majid’s account with the contradictory evidence of four other witnesses.

“The fact that the year-long Scottish investigation has completely exonerated me fatally undermines the ECB process and must force them to reconsider their unjust verdict and clear my name.”

In response, an ECB spokesperson said: ”The Cricket Discipline Commission upheld the charge against John Blain for using racist language at Yorkshire in or around 2010 and 2011 after considering all the evidence before it, including Mr Blain’s defence and a number of supporting witness statements filed by him (through his then legal team) before he withdrew from the process. He declined the opportunity to appear before the commission to defend himself in person.”

Cricket Scotland have been approached for comment