Cricket-Hales apologises for 2009 image of him in blackface
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[November 19, 2021]
(Reuters) -Former England batsman Alex
Hales apologised for an old photo showing him in blackface at a
fancy dress party, saying on Friday it was "incredibly reckless and
foolish".
The Sun newspaper published the image on Thursday and said it had
been taken at a New Year's Eve party in 2009.
Hales, 32, said it was a tribute to late rapper Tupac Shakur.
"The theme was musicians and Tupac is, was and always will be my
favourite musician so I went (dressed) as him," Hales said in a
video
https://www.instagram.com/p/
CWcr3QSj9oN on Friday.
"Obviously I realise it's incredibly disrespectful and want to
apologise for the offence that this has, no doubt, caused. It was
incredibly reckless and foolish on my behalf."
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it will investigate
the matter.
"We strongly condemn any form of discrimination," an ECB
spokesperson told Reuters.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Nov/19/images/ads/current/goodman_sda_FFARM_2019.png)
"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 game for everyone."
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, for whom Hales plays, also said
https://twitter.com/TrentBridge/status/
1461604852681871365?s=20 the batsman would be subjected to the
club's disciplinary process.
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![](../images/111921pics/sports25.jpg)
England's Alex Hales during nets Action Images via Reuters/Ed
Sykes/File Photo
![](../images/ads/current/graue_lda_2021.gif)
"I want to apologise to the club for the
embarrassment it would have caused and I guess my 20s was full of
mistakes like that," Hales said.
"Reckless mistakes off the field let down family, team mates,
friends and close relationships I had during my 20s. And I guess
some of these decisions I will regret for the rest of my life."
This week, ex-Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq, a player of Pakistani
descent, testified before a British parliamentary committee about
the discrimination he had faced while at the club, saying the sport
in England was riddled with racism.
On Wednesday, Hales denied there was "any racial connotation" in the
name of his dog Kevin after allegations by Rafiq.
"Last few years being away from the spotlight a little bit has given
me a chance to better myself as a human...
"With regards to the allegations about the dog... I want to
reiterate what I said in my statement the other day. And finally, I
deplore all forms of racism and discrimination," Hales added.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry
and Giles Elgood)
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