A fresh crisis has hit Cricket Scotland with the emergence of a damning new report questioning the organisation’s culture and treatment of women.
The McKinney Report, an independent assessment conducted by a leading Scottish HR firm, revealed a “high degree of prejudice towards female staff and players” within Cricket Scotland. It highlighted “antiquated attitudes and behavior towards women in the game,” particularly at the club level.
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Published on Monday, the 35-page report follows a similar investigation two years ago that labeled Cricket Scotland as institutionally racist. The earlier report, “Changing The Boundaries,” conducted by Plan4Sport in July 2022, uncovered 448 instances of racism and discrimination within Scottish cricket, leading to the resignation of the entire Cricket Scotland board.
The McKinney report analyzed behaviors, cultures, and practices within Cricket Scotland, both before and after the publication of the 2022 report. Its six key themes included culture and inclusion, leadership, general behaviors, employment practices and wellbeing, psychological safety, and sexism and misogyny.
Nine recommendations have been put forth, with a focus on general behaviors, sexism, and misogyny.
Trudy Lindblade, CEO of Cricket Scotland, issued a statement expressing deep concern over the report’s findings. She apologized to those affected by the disrespectful and demeaning behaviors allowed to persist within the organization.
Lindblade emphasized Cricket Scotland’s commitment to creating a welcoming and safe environment for women and girls in the sport. She pledged to work with regional associations and clubs to eradicate misogyny, sexism, and discrimination from cricket in Scotland. Lindblade also announced that a new strategy, prioritizing the health and growth of women and girls’ cricket, would be unveiled shortly.
While several recommendations from the McKinney Report are already in progress, Lindblade acknowledged that significant work lies ahead for Cricket Scotland, its regions, and clubs to bring about necessary change. She urged anyone affected by the report’s findings to utilize the organization’s newly established disciplinary and complaints process.
Cricket Scotland’s recent initiatives in handling matters transparently demonstrate its commitment to addressing the issues highlighted in the report.
