John Blain threatens legal action as Cricket Scotland race row descends into acrimony

Blain was sent a letter in January this year by Cricket Scotland in which they said allegations of racism against him had been “unfounded”. The letter, sent by then interim CEO Peter Fitzboydon, was the basis for Blain to go public last week saying he had been cleared of the allegations and that the investigations “fully exonerate me”.

But a letter sent by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants against Blain was made public by Running Out Racism, the anti-racism advocacy group that has been advising complainants through the process. In the letter the board explained why disciplinary proceedings were not being initiated against Blain but said: “This procedural inability to progress these matters to a Conduct in Sport Panel is not a statement of exoneration.”

The identity of the complainant has not been made public, but ESPNcricinfo has confirmed and verified with the player their account of the allegations as well as the letter they received.

“This latest Cricket Scotland letter is a desperate attempt to re-invent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration,” Blain said, adding that Fitzboydon was not the only CEO to tell him the allegations were “unfounded”.

“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.”

Blain said he was exploring legal options on what he called this switch in stance. “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.”