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The BCB has paid the players of Dhaka Premier League clubs Kalabagan Cricket Academy (KCA) and Cricket Coaching School (CCS) their dues on Wednesday, a week after the deadline it had issued for payments to be made had passed. Players from Victoria Sporting Club and Brothers Union, however, remained unpaid and were in the dark leading into the Eid holidays.The board paid the KCA players 30% and the CCS players 52% of their total payment, completing the 60% they were supposed to be paid by June 9, when the league’s first phase ended. The BCB had instructed the clubs to pay the players 30% of their full payment before the start of the league, the next 30% at the end of the first phase, and the remaining 40% six weeks after the end of the Super League on June 22.Players and officials from Abahani Limited, Gazi Group Cricketers, Kalabagan Krira Chakra, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Legends of Rupganj, Prime Bank Cricket Club and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club confirmed they had received 60% of their payment, and were awaiting the rest in the next five weeks. Some of the Mohammedan Sporting Club players were waiting for the second installment but most of the players had been paid the amount due.CCS captain Rajin Saleh said he received a check from an officer of CCDM, the BCB standing committee that runs the capital’s leagues. He said he received 52% of his total payment from the board, in addition to the 8% he had received from CCS during the league.”The BCB has paid the CCS players today,” Rajin said. “We are quite relieved because now we have at least the first 60% of the payment. We will tell the club that if they pay us another 10%, we will let go of the remaining money.”KCA captain Mahmudul Hasan also confirmed that many of his team-mates had received cheques from the board. BCB director Jalal Yunus said the BCB considered paying players from these two clubs first because of their plight during the league. He also said that KCA and CCS would have to reimburse the BCB the full amount it paid on behalf of their clubs.”We have paid players from these two clubs as they have suffered the most during the league,” Yunus told ESPNcricinfo. “We have informed both clubs that they have to reimburse the BCB the exact payment. Otherwise we will have to take action against them.”However, the BCB and the players from Victoria and Brothers Union remained unaware about their payment. ESPNcricinfo learned that the clubs had told the board that they would make the payment themselves, but as of June 29 the players had not been given the remaining money.”The payment issue with Victoria and Brothers is unlikely to be resolved before Eid. The clubs told the BCB that they would pay the players but so far the players haven’t been paid,” a BCB official said. “I think the board will wait until after Eid before paying the players.”Brothers Union batsman Shahriar Nafees said they were owed 30% by the club. “The Brothers Union club authorities have assured us that they are going to pay us as soon as they have funds,” he said. “The BCB too have told us that they will do all they can to get the clubs to pay us. We also prefer that the clubs pay us. It has become quite difficult for many of the players, because Eid is coming up.”The situation is most difficult for the Victoria players. On June 14, they wanted to meet the BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury but were stopped by their club president Nisar Uddin Ahmed Kazal’s promise that they would be paid up to 60% by the next day. The payment was not made and it prompted the BCB president Nazmul Hassan to give the clubs the 72-hour deadline on June 19.

ScorecardTom Kohler-Cadmore lifted Worcestershire out of a dire position•Getty Images

Tom Kohler-Cadmore continued a remarkable run of scores at New Road as Worcestershire escaped from a dire position on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two fixture at New Road.In leading a beleaguered side from 34 for 5 to 341 for 8, the 21-year-old batsman made 153 not out, his fourth century in his last five innings on his home ground for an aggregate of 580 with only two dismissals.The sequence began last September with 130 not out against Middlesex and this season he has followed up with 119 not out against Essex and 127 from 54 balls in a NatWest T20 Blast match against Durham. In his only other knock, he scored 51 against Sussex.Until Kohler-Cadmore went to work, in particular peppering the midwicket boundary for many of his 23 fours from 262 balls, Gloucestershire were celebrating their decision to bowl first on a dry, greenish pitch.David Payne was the spearhead, exploiting swing and seam movement with 3 for 11 in seven overs. There were also wickets for Liam Norwell, on his return after a month’s lay-off, and Josh Shaw before Ben Cox, with 75 from 108 balls, turned things round in a partnership of 155 with Kohler-Cadmore.This equalled the county’s sixth-wicket record against Gloucestershire which Cox himself had set when batting with Joe Clarke at Bristol in April.Apart from a difficult caught-and-bowled chance to Norwell on 52, wicketkeeper Cox looked at ease in making the highest of his seven fifties since he scored 109 against Somerset in May last year.When he was dislodged by Craig Miles, giving Chris Dent his third catch in the innings at second slip, Worcestershire briefly faltered as Joe Leach also fell to Miles, slicing to point with the total on 205 for 7.However, Kohler-Cadmore powered on to a new career-best mark with an edged boundary off Jack Taylor, and in Ed Barnard he found another strong partner in putting on 92 in 27 overs. The former England Under-19 allrounder played well for 50 from 80 balls, a maiden first-class half-century, before he was lbw to Norwell.Jack Shantry, unbeaten with 26, then added to Gloucestershire’s frustration on a day that had begun so well. Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell was lbw to Payne from the third ball of the match and Clarke edged Norwell to Dent in the second over.Alexei Kervezee was also snapped up by Dent – a second success for Payne – and in his next over the left-arm seamer had Brett D’Oliveira leg-before. When Shaw bowled Ross Whiteley with his fourth ball, half the side had gone inside 12 overs in the first hour.

Mushfiqur Rahim feels his 20-plus years of experience in international cricket helped prepare him for the expectations, pressure and hype around his 100th Test match. Mushfiqur became the eleventh cricketer to score a century in their 100th Test, particularly important in the way he dragged the team out of trouble on the first morning.Mushfiqur put together two century stands, 107 for the fourth wicket with Mominul Haque and 108 for the fifth wicket with Litton Das, but he had to endure a nervous evening on Wednesday as he was unbeaten on 99 overnight. His on-field performance wasn’t much of a surprise given that he was in good form in Bangladesh’s previous Test series in June. Mushfiqur said that he is still pinching himself for becoming the first cricketer from Bangladesh to reach the 100-Test milestone.”I can’t believe that someone from Bangladesh has played a hundred Tests, so it’s really a huge achievement,” Mushfiqur said. “It is a proud moment for any player. So obviously I am happy that I could be that person. There’s more responsibility on me. I want to give back for as long as I am playing for Bangladesh, and I want to ensure there are one or two players who can fill my gap when I have left the dressing room.”I think 100 is a huge number, so I have learned many things while getting there. I have tried to gather experience and learned how to stay calm. To be honest, I really want to thank the BCB for what they planned on the first morning. It really feels great and I really felt honoured. I think this type of recognition can work as an inspiration for cricketers. It is important for them to dream that they want to play 100 Tests.”Related

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Mushfiqur said that he was eyeing up a big hundred in the first innings, an aspect of his career that has become more frequent in the last five years.”I tried to reach the milestone last evening since these things are not easy. They could have bowled one more over but I understand it is a tactical thing. I think we would have done the same thing if we were the fielding side.”At the same time, I wanted to score a big hundred, rather than just getting to the mark. I tried to motivate myself that I want to score 60 or 70 more runs, not just the one run. I wanted to bat till Litton got to his century. I couldn’t do it, but Miraz batted well after that,” he said.This has been a week of reflections in Bangladesh cricket. Many of Mushfiqur’s former team-mates and coaches have paid tribute to his career. It was also necessary to listen to what Mushfiqur had to say about his milestone, especially given the high value he places on Test cricket.”I told the team huddle on the first day that the team always comes first. Mushfiqur Rahim is because of Bangladesh. I think I am like a drop in the ocean. Bangladesh comes first, and a win in this Test match will be my biggest gift whether I score or not,” he said.Mushfiqur Rahim walks out to bat in his 100th Test•BCB

Mushfiqur, who grew up in the northern town of Bogra before enrolling in BKSP, the country’s biggest sports institute, said that he would dedicate the century in his 100th Test to his grandparents.”I want to dedicate the century to my paternal and maternal grandparents. They were my biggest fans when they were alive. They told me shortly before they died that they want to live a little longer to watch me play. I think very rarely do anyone get such grandparents. Their blessings have brought me this far.”Mushfiqur said that he is looking forward to Bangladesh’s next Test assignment: the two-match series against Pakistan at home in April, but didn’t reveal too much about his long-term future.”I think there’s a four-month break, after which we will play against Pakistan. Nothing more than that. I know I have to keep improving. I want to play as long as the team and team management wants me to play, and I know if the team wants me to continue, I will continue to play.”

Sisters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce scored half-centuries to guide The Blaze to a 44-run bonus point victory over Somerset on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-shortened Metro Bank One Day Cup match at Taunton Vale Sports Ground.Sarah Bryce top-scored with 68 from 54 balls, hit 12 fours and shared in an opening stand of 76 inside 10 overs with Georgie Boyce as The Blaze posted 252 for 6 in a contest reduced to 33 overs-a-side. Kathryn Bryce then made 63 not out from 60 balls with eight fours, staging a partnership of 72 with Orla Prendergast, who weighed in with a forthright 46. Charlie Dean did her best to keep Somerset in contention, returning figures of 3 for 50 from seven overs.Chasing a revised target of 214 in 26 overs, Somerset never recovered from the wreckage of 9 for 4, Cassidy McCarthy taking three wickets in a devastating eight-ball burst that all but settled the outcome during the powerplay. Amanda-Jade Wellington raised a defiant 28-ball 53 and Fran Wilson hit 33, but McCarthy finished with 3 for 12 as the home side were bowled out for 169 in 22.2 overs.Victory cemented The Blaze’s position in the top three and materially improved their prospects of making the final stages of the 50-over competition, but Somerset are now out of contention with two games remaining.Making the most of short boundaries and a quick outfield, Boyce and Sarah Bryce accrued 11 boundaries on their way to 61 without loss from a seven-over powerplay after being put in on a drying surface. When the seamers struggled to contain the flow of runs, Somerset turned to spinners Dean and Wellington in an attempt to turn the tide.England international Dean struck in her second over, persuading Boyce to drive to mid-off and depart for a run-a-ball 31 with the score 76 for 1 in the 10th over. But there was no dislodging Sarah Bryce, who went to an assured half-century from 40 balls with 10 fours, the Blaze wicketkeeper-batter growing in stature all the time.There was a sense of relief within Somerset ranks when offspinner Chloe Skelton bowled Bryce in the act of cutting in the 18th, her dismissal providing the home side with much-needed respite. Thereafter, Prendergast and Kathryn Bryce proved adept at finding the gaps, the pair combining clever placement and forceful running in staging a third-wicket stand of 73 in eight overs.Ireland international Prendergast seized on anything wide or short of a length, pulling Alex Griffiths for the first six of the innings and then driving Skelton for four as returning rain rendered control difficult for the bowlers. She had raised 46 off 31 balls and helped herself to five fours and a six when she skied a catch to backward point off the bowling of Wellington as The Blaze slipped to 195 for 3.Somerset continued to fight back, Dean bowling the dangerous Georgia Elwiss and then pinning Ella Claridge lbw to further reduce their opponents to 212 for 5 in the 29th. But Kathryn Bryce continued to carry the fight to Somerset, raising her 50 via 52 balls with her sixth four and putting on 34 for the sixth wicket with Michaela Kirk, who contributed a useful 17 from nine deliveries.A further downpour caused seven overs to be lost and, when Somerset resumed their innings, they were required to score a further 209 at 8.36 an over. Their task quickly became even more difficult, Bex Odgers pulling McCarthy’s first ball to square leg and fellow opener Niamh Holland nicking a catch behind off the bowling of Grace Ballinger.Generating pace and swing aplenty, McCarthy bowled Sophie Luff and Dani Gibson with successive deliveries, at which point she had taken three wickets in eight balls and the home side were deep in trouble on 9 for 4. Kirstie Gordon then had Dean held by Kirk on the midwicket boundary as Somerset slumped to 22 for 5.Wilson and Wellington did their utmost to make a game of it thereafter, staging a face-saving alliance of 69 in 6.5 overs in the late-afternoon sunshine. Not afraid to play expansive strokes, these two raised a quickfire 50 from 33 balls in a blaze of boundaries, Wellington plundering five consecutive fours off the bowling of Prendergast to put the visitors on the back foot for the first time.Elwiss accounted for Wilson, caught at short fine leg, but the defiant Wellington went on to post a rapid 50 from just 26 balls with 10 fours. She was run out by Kathryn Bryce soon afterwards, her dismissal signaling the end of meaningful West Country resistance.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host cricket matches for the first time since a stampede outside its premises on June 4 claimed 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations.The venue is one of the hosts for Karnataka State Cricket Association’s (KSCA) K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy, a red-ball multi-day pre-season tournament comprising 16 teams. The Chinnaswamy Stadium will host six matches in the competition, including one semi-final and the final from September 26. However, fans will not be allowed in the stadium.Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Vijay Shankar, Shashank Singh are among the top Indian stars in participation. The tournament features teams from Mumbai, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal, Chhattisgarh among others.Related

• Deaths and injuries to fans mar RCB's homecoming in Bengaluru

• Probe panel deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large-scale events

Chinnaswamy’s return to the cricket calendar also coincides with RCB having broken their social media silence over the tragic stampede. Last week, the franchise communicated to have extended a sum of INR 25 lakh to the families of those who died, while also committing long-term action towards better crowd safety and management.The venue has been at the centre of an ongoing tussle between the KSCA, Karnataka government and the state police – all of whom have been under investigation, along with the franchise, by a one-man tribunal following the June 4 incident.Additionally, KSCA have also run into issues with the local regulatory bodies, including the electricity supply department (BESCOM) that has cut-off power to the venue due to non-compliance of fire safety regulations. An NOC hadn’t yet been received as of Wednesday (September 3). The venue uses generators and solar power for its needs.As a result, the KSCA was denied permission by the police to host the Women’s World Cup, with Chinnaswamy losing out on five possible games, including the tournament opener, a semi-final and the final on November 2.The Maharaja Trophy, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, had to also be moved out of Bengaluru for the same reason, after the police rejected KSCA’s proposal to stage the tournament behind closed doors. The tournament was eventually staged in Mysore under a similar closed-door arrangement.Late last month, a committee tasked by the state government to investigate the stampede deemed the Chinnaswamy “unsafe” for large-scale events. The commission “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that were “better suited” to handle significant crowds.Subsequently, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar unveiled the government’s grand plans of building a cricket stadium capable of housing 60,000 fans inside a massive 75-acre sports complex in the city’s industrial suburbs.

Ben Stokes is missing from the list of 1574 players who have registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction to be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.The long list of registered players, which will be pruned by the IPL after receiving input from the franchises, contains all the marquee Indian players who were not retained by their franchises. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer – who were captains of Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively, but were not retained – are listed at a base price of INR 2 crore, along with R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, who were both released by Rajasthan Royals.Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played any cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year because of various injures, is also listed at a base price of INR 2 crore after not being retained by Gujarat Titans.Related

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• How Mumbai Indians kept their Fab Four for INR 75 crore

The other Indian players with the maximum base price of INR 2 crore are Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav.Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, who was unsold in the previous auction, have registered at a base price of INR 75 lakh.Stokes had opted out of IPL 2024 as well to manage his workload and fitness. During the Hundred in August earlier this year, he had suffered a hamstring injury, which sidelined him for two months. According to the IPL rules that were revised this year, an overseas player who does not register for the mega auction will not be allowed to register for the subsequent mini auction, with exceptions only made in case of injuries and/or medical conditions confirmed by the player’s home board. This change was made to discourage players from targeting mini-auctions, where bids for marquee players are typically higher than at mega auctions.Mitchell Starc, who became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was bought for INR 24.50 crore by KKR in 2024, is back in the auction pool at a base price of INR 2 crore. Jofra Archer is also on the list at that same base price, having not played in the IPL since 2023, when he appeared in only five games for Mumbai Indians because of injury issues.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England fast bowler James Anderson, who has not played a T20 since 2014 and never been part of the IPL, has registered for the auction at a base price of INR 1.25 crore. Anderson retired from international cricket during this English summer and took up the role of bowling coach with the England team.The long list also includes a player from Italy, Thomas Draca, who played from Brampton in the Global T20 Canada. Draca, 24, was more recently picked by MI Emirates for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE.Each franchise can build a squad of up to 25 players, which means there are 204 slots available at the auction after 46 players were retained across the ten teams from last season.Each team has a total purse of INR 120 crore to build their squads, but following the retention, Punjab Kings have the biggest purse remaining (INR 110.5 crore) to spend at the mega auction, followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (INR 83 crore), Delhi Capitals (INR 73 crore), Gujarat Titans (INR 69 crore), Lucknow Super Giants (INR 69 crore) Chennai Super Kings (INR 55 crore), Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 51 crore), Mumbai Indians (INR 45 crore), Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 45 crore), Rajasthan Royals (INR 41 crore).The IPL has allowed teams to retain up to six players this time – of which a maximum of five can be capped and a maximum of two can be uncapped. The six players can either be retained outright ahead of the auction, or can be bought back using Right-to-Match (RTM) options at the auction, or a combination of both.If a player has been bought by another franchise at the mega auction, the franchise that he was part of in IPL 2024 can step in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player using the RTM option by matching the highest bid. After that, the franchise that made the winning bid will be given another opportunity to raise the bid to whatever amount they wish. In that case, the player’s previous team will have to match the increased bid to buy back their player.Having retained just two players, PBKS have the most RTM options (four) at the auction. RCB, who retained three players, have three while Delhi Capitals, who retained four players, have two. Five teams – MI, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, SRH and LSG – retained five players each and have just one RTM option at the auction, while RR and KKR have no RTM options.There is of course no limit on the number of players a franchise can buy back if they place the highest bids for them during regular bidding at the auction.

Tayla Vlaeminck dislocated her bowling shoulder just moments into Australia’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, deepening her shocking run of bad luck with injuries.Vlaeminck was attempting to stop a boundary off Muneeba Ali’s fine edge on just the fourth ball of the match in Dubai on Friday. Running back from short third, Vlaeminck slid but her knee got stuck in the turf as she reached for the ball and flicked it back before tumbling over the rope, crying out and clutching at her shoulder as she did so.Lying on the boundary’s edge clearly in distress as Australia team medical staff rushed to her aid, captain Alyssa Healy looked visibly concerned.Vlaeminck’s shoulder was later relocated and the extent of the injury will be known following further assessment in the coming days.She had come into the side for the big-hitting Grace Harris, adding pace in what Healy described as an “impact for impact” swap in Australia’s first match of the tournament at the ground, having opened their campaign with wins against Sri Lanka and New Zealand on a slower pitch in Sharjah.It is the latest in a long line of injuries for 25-year-old Vlaeminck, playing her first World Cup match since 2018, Australia’s group game against India, and only the second of her career.Vlaeminck dislocated her left shoulder playing for Victoria in the 2017-18 season. Then, during the Australia A tour of England which coincided with last year’s Women’s Ashes, she dislocated the same shoulder again while bowling, which led to corrective surgery.Before she made her debut for Australia, in 2018, she had undergone two ACL reconstructions. Stress fractures in her foot also forced her to miss the 2020 home T20 World Cup as well as the 2022 ODI World Cup, the Commonwealth Games later that year and the 2023 T20 World Cup. Her foot injuries led her to spend time training with professional dancers at the Australian Ballet as part of her rehab work.

It’s not the money. According to Andre Russell, premier West Indian cricketers are “just not interested in playing Tests.”The issue has been simmering forever, with cricketers popular with T20 leagues around the world – like Russell – often staying away from West Indies cricket, particularly the longest format. Sometimes, they have been called mercenaries. Most recently, in December 2023, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers turned down West Indies central contracts, but made themselves available for T20Is. Holder, though, has since played Tests.Even though observers say that is due to the lack of money in West Indian cricket, Russell disagrees. “I don’t think it’s the money, I don’t think money is the issue,” he told recently. “Based on the amount of T20 and leagues around the world, I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests.”Russell’s remarks came after West Indies – placed bottom of the nine-team World Test Championship table at the moment – were swept 3-0 in England. They have since drawn the first Test in Port of Spain against South Africa, a Test they were behind in for the most part but, following rain and an attacking South Africa declaration, got to a competitive position when time ran out.Related

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Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Pooran, Rovman Powell and Kieron Pollard were among the West Indians playing in The Hundred when the last Test against England was being played in late July. Among the highest-paid players in the league, they are still playing The Hundred while the Test series against South Africa is on. Pollard, Powell and Pooran have never played Test cricket. Russell played one, in 2010. Hetmyer has played 16, the last of them in 2019.”I’m always excited watching the other West Indian batters, especially when they’re hitting boundary after boundary,” Russell said. “As long as you can do well from contracts outside your nation I think they are going to grab that opportunity but everyone wants to play on the big stage.”So, if the big stage comes in Test cricket, I know youngsters will be happy to play. I just don’t think it’s about money or anything like that.”Russell, now 36, has managed to stay at the top of his game in short-format cricket despite a succession of injuries over the years, especially in the legs. A knee injury forced him out of the 2019 ODI World Cup after a few games. Test cricket, he said, was not on the table for him.”Red-ball cricket is not my cookie, I don’t think my body will keep up with Test cricket,” he said. “But those in the team at the moment are fit enough and taking on the challenge. They had a few moments in the Test series [against England] where they could have turned things around. Playing England at home is always going to be hard for the West Indies.”

Jonathan Trott has been announced as the new head coach of Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, replacing Graham Ford who left the role last month.Trott is currently head coach of Afghanistan, a post he has held since 2022, and had his deal renewed in January to run through to the end of 2024. At this stage, there is uncertainty as to whether the 43-year-old will continue. With the SA20 taking place in January 2025, there is no real clash between the job and his international commitments. There is no confirmation yet on whether Trott will renew his contract which is due to expire in December.The Capitals are amid a broader shake-up after Ricky Ponting was let go ending his seven-year association with the Delhi franchise. Pretoria’s decision to move on from Ford came after a difficult second season in which they won just three matches and finished fifth. They were losing finalists in the competition’s first edition in 2023 after topping the table.Trott’s time at Afghanistan has been a success, with a drastic improvement in the team’s results at global events. Despite their talent in the shorter formats, they had won just one match in an ICC tournament – both 50-over and T20 – before beating Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh in the last nine months across the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20I World Cups. They made it through to the semi-finals of the latter, losing to South Africa.Trott may also be in consideration for England’s limited-overs job but is thought to be an outside bet with a decision to be made in the coming days on the future of incumbent head coach Matthew Mott. Trott earned 127 caps for England, and has previously coached on the pathway, both for the Under-19 and Lions teams. He is currently working as assistant coach of Trent Rockets in the men’s Hundred.

Cricket Scotland’s attempts to conclude independent investigations into allegations of racist behaviour have been overshadowed by an escalating row with John Blain, the former Yorkshire and Scotland fast bowler.Blain, who last week declared that he had been “exonerated”of racism allegations dating back to 2007, pre-empted Cricket Scotland’s formal conclusion of the process on Tuesday afternoon by issuing a further statement threatening legal action against the board. He accused Cricket Scotland of “a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt… to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name.”Blain was sent a letter in January this year by the board 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 saying he had been cleared of the allegations and that the investigations “fully exonerate me”.Related

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But a letter sent by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants against Blain reveals that he has not been exonerated. The letter was made public by Running Out Racism, the anti-racism advocacy group that has been advising complainants through the process. In it the board explain why disciplinary proceedings were not being initiated against Blain but make clear: “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 former player their account of the allegations as well as the letter they received.In its own statement, issued on Tuesday afternoon after Blain’s, Cricket Scotland said that Blain’s cases “were not progressed further due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action” – a subtle but clear distinction from its communication of “unfounded” in January.Blain’s case was the only one specifically referred to within Cricket Scotland’s statement. Though the board said it could not comment publicly on the reasons for Fitzboydon to present Blain with the outcome of his cases in the manner that he did, it is believed significant welfare concerns around Blain had been raised at the time Blain confirmed as much, alleging that the board’s “preposterous position now appears to be that they in fact lied to me out of consideration for my welfare!” Blain has previously spoken about the toll the case had taken on his mental health.”This latest Cricket Scotland letter is a desperate attempt to reinvent 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 now exploring legal options. “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.”On Tuesday the board officially closed investigations into the series of referrals stemming from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report in 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist. But since Blain went public, pressure had been building on the board to clarify that he had not been exonerated but that the board were unable to progress with disciplinary proceedings against him.Blain’s statement prompted the investigating team to issue the only public utterance they have in two years, in which they made it clear nobody had been exonerated. And in a further illustration of their unhappiness with Blain’s statements, ESPNcricinfo is aware of a letter the investigating team sent to Cricket Scotland strongly urging the board to correct Blain in writing as to the outcomes of complaints against him.That correction appears to have been made, at least in the redacted letter they sent to the complainant, a copy of which is available with ESPNcricinfo.”None of these outcomes take away from the feelings that you have as a result of the incidents you reported, but they do impact on Cricket Scotland’s ability to take formal action,” the letter to the complainant reads.”We are keen to stress that none of the above seeks to undermine the belief that you had regarding the way that you were treated, but sets out the reasons why we will not be bringing disciplinary proceedings against John Blain.”Running Out Racism said the letter confirms “a contradictory account provided by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants… and demonstrates that the allegations made were not ‘unfounded’, but not investigated due to them not having rules or jurisdiction at the time.”Cricket Scotland has sent communication to complainants and respondents in all the referrals that have now been concluded, including to Blain. He is expected to receive in his letter clarification around the correspondence he was initially sent by Fitzboydon, in which it has been made clear the reasons for disciplinary proceedings not going ahead.The board also apologised once again to all victims of racism and discriminatory behaviour as it concluded what has been a long and complex two-year investigations process. Fifty-three referrals ultimately emerged from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report, of which 51 have now been investigated and stand concluded. Two referrals have not begun being investigated for external legal reasons.Only five of the 51 completed referrals have, however, proceeded to disciplinary action. Cricket Scotland said the others had not met the criteria to be taken further, which included not demonstrating “sufficient evidence”, a “clear breach of a rule that had been in place at the time of the offence”, and the “requisite jurisdictional remit to proceed with the case”.The rest of the referrals have concluded with a series of learnings – over 250 – for Cricket Scotland to take on board as it attempts to move on from the central finding of the report that it was institutionally racist.”It is clear that there are no ‘winners’ from this damaging and divisive period for cricket in Scotland,” Lindblade, the current CEO, said in the statement. “Since joining in February this year, I know for a fact that Cricket Scotland has been driven to learn from mistakes of the past to ensure they do not happen again.”The legacy of the referrals process will be the wholesale restructuring of Cricket Scotland for the benefit of all within our sport.”The board has asked complainants to consider seeking mediation as a next step. “It is the Board’s wish that reconciliation and where necessary, independent mediation is accepted by those involved, for the good of individual personal relationships and for the good of the sport in Scotland,” said the Cricket Scotland chair Wilf Walsh.