Cricket Scotland today can confirm the result of, and sanctions emanating from, the independent disciplinary process against Ronald McGregor.
A hearing of the Conduct In Sport Panel on August 24, 2023, found the complaint brought by Cricket Scotland against Mr McGregor to be established and upheld. The panel held that Mr McGregor breached Article 2.13 (i), (ii) & (iii) of the Cricket Scotland Code of Conduct, by his behaviour against Mr Majid Haq, an umpire officiating in the WDCU Premiership One match between Greenock and Stenhousemuir, on August 12, 2023.
Consideration of sanctions was continued until September 11, to allow this judgment to be presented to Mr McGregor, and allow him an opportunity to attend, or make any representations on his own behalf, at the sanction hearing. Mr McGregor did not respond or attend the sanction hearing, which continued in his absence.
In determining sanctions, the panel found no mitigatory features in the incident, noted that Mr McGregor refused to engage in the disciplinary process, and in his only email response to Cricket Scotland exhibited no remorse or culpability.
The panel considered Mr McGregor’s behaviour to be at the highest end of conduct covered by Article 2.13. In these circumstances, reference is made to Cricket Scotland Conduct in Sport Panel Rules, and in terms of rule 7.3.7.
The panel sanctioned Mr McGregor by imposing a lifetime ban from attending any matches under the auspices of Cricket Scotland, in terms of rule 7.3.7. Mr McGregor has seven days in which to appeal this sanction, dating from Wednesday September 13, 2023.
Cricket Scotland Chief Executive, Pete Fitzboydon, said:
“Racism, and those who demonstrate discriminatory behaviour, have no place in our sport. Cricket can be one of the greatest forces for bringing communities together, and the vast majority is played without incident. Unfortunately, a small minority of people continue to demonstrate their racist and bigoted views in our game. Any racist incident is one too many.
“Cricket Scotland’s focus remains on preventing incidents from occurring by helping the sport to become anti-racist; however, appropriate sanctions for any perpetrators are extremely important. While the Conduct in Sport Panel is rightly independent from Cricket Scotland, this lifetime ban reassures me that they regard racism with the same level of condemnation that the governing body does.”
