Alex Hales is facing an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigation after a photo was published showing him in blackface at a fancy dress party.
The image, published by The Sun, was apparently taken at a New Year’s Eve party in 2009, when Hales would have been 20 years old.
Hales, now 32, told The Sun the outfit was in tribute to Tupac Shakur, the US rapper, who the batter said he “admired from childhood”.”In 2009, I attended a New Year’s Eve musical tribute fancy dress party,” Hales said. “I dressed in tribute to my musical hero, Tupac Shakur, someone who I’ve admired from childhood and, at the time, did not realise the offensive nature of this.
“I echo my statement from earlier in the week and stress how much I deplore racism and discrimination in all its forms.”Hales also released a video statement via Instagram further expressing his regret and apologising for the “offence that this has no doubt caused which was incredibly reckless and foolish”.
He went on to add: “My twenties were full of reckless mistakes off the field that cost me and let down family, friends, team-mates. Some of those decisions I will regret for the rest of my life.”The ECB says it will “investigate accordingly”.
Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, told The Sun: “This picture – coming on the back of a week when cricket was shamed like never before – is incredibly disturbing and offensive.
“The very soul of English cricket is now at stake.”
The ECB says it will “investigate accordingly”.
Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, told The Sun: “This picture – coming on the back of a week when cricket was shamed like never before – is incredibly disturbing and offensive.
“The very soul of English cricket is now at stake.” (SkyNews)