Former England batsman Alex Hales on Friday apologized for an old photo showing him in blackface at a fancy dress party, saying it was “incredibly reckless and foolish”.
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Sun The newspaper published the picture on Thursday and said it was taken at a New Year’s Eve party in 2009.
Hales, 32, said it was a tribute to the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
“The theme was musicians and Tupac was, was and always will be my favorite musician, so I went (dressed) as him,” Hales said in a video on Friday.
“Obviously, I realize this is incredibly insulting and would like to apologize for this offense, no doubt. It was incredibly reckless and silly on my part.”
England and Wales Cricket The Board (ECB) said it would investigate the matter.
“We strongly condemn any discrimination,” an ECB spokesperson told Reuters.
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“We have procedures in place to address conduct and allegations of this nature and we will investigate accordingly. We want cricket to be an inclusive, welcoming sport for all.”
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, for which Hales plays, also said the batsman would be subject to the club’s disciplinary process.
“I want to apologize for the embarrassment I’ve caused to the club and I think my 20s were full of mistakes like these,” Hales said.
“Careless mistakes off the field frustrated family, teammates, friends, and my close relationships during my 20s. And I think I will regret some of these decisions for the rest of my life. ,
This week, former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq, of Pakistani origin, testified before a British parliamentary committee about the discrimination he faced at the club, saying the game in England was fraught with racism.
On Wednesday, Hales denied that the name of his dog, Kevin, had “any racial connotation” following Rafiq’s allegations.
“Being away from the limelight over the years has given me an opportunity to better myself as a human being…
“With regard to the allegations about the dog … I want to reiterate what I said in my statement the other day. And finally, I condemn all forms of racism and discrimination,” Hales said.
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