John Blaine: The former fast bowler has been reinstated into the Scotland Cricket Hall of Fame

FORMER fast bowler John Blaine will be reinstated into the Scotland Cricket Hall of Fame.

The 47-year-old made 118 appearances and was drafted in May 2019 but was ‘temporarily suspended’ in July 2022.

At the time, the governing body refused to explain the reasons behind its decision.

Blaine released a statement saying, “I am extremely grateful to the many, many people who have stood by me since I was falsely accused of racism.”

The former Northamptonshire and Yorkshire player described representing Scotland as “the greatest honor of my life”, saying his removal from the Hall of Fame “was one of the biggest blows during a very difficult time for me and my family”.

Blaine also described cricket as “a force for good in Scotland, bringing together players from different backgrounds”.

In January 2024, Blaine was informed by Cricket Scotland that the allegations against him were “baseless” and no further action would be taken.

However, Blaine himself did not reveal the findings of the independent report until five months later, in which he called for an investigation into the governing body’s actions.

In a separate investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board in March 2023, Blaine was one of six players found guilty of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

He later said that Cricket Scotland’s findings “fatally undermine the ECB process”.

Upon his reinstatement, Cricket Scotland’s board accepted the recommendation of the Hall of Fame appointment committee, chaired by Omar Henry, chairman of the organisation.

Cricket Scotland added that Blaine’s suspension will be lifted, provided he completes the equality, diversity and inclusion training they have agreed to.