Picture Credit: Twitter
The world of cricket, especially in England, has been hit by some shocking revelations around the racism in sport over the last few years. The whole sequence of events started when former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq gave a testimony to a parliamentary select committee, revealing how racism is such a common norm in the country. Many cricketers like Michael Vaughan, Jack Brooks and Alex Hales have come under the radar for their alleged involvement in racist behaviour.
Hales, who has often found himself in various controversies off the field over the years, had recently denied all the allegations against him for having any racial connotations behind naming his dog 'Kevin'. However, it was not the end of story for the English cricketer. In another incident, 'The Sun' published an image of Hales going to a New Year's party in 2009 with a blackface, allegedly taking part in a racist act.
Check out the image:
It did not take much time for the picture to get viral on social media and Hales was facing backlash by public all over the internet with netizens terming his act as 'disgraceful'. It was reported that ECB will begin an investigation to look into the matter and amid all this, the 32-year-old posted a video on Instagram, where he accepted his mistake and apologised for his actions.
I guess my 20s was full of mistakes like that: Alex Hales
While explaining the reason behind the blackface picture, he said, "The theme (of the party) was musicians and Tupac (Shakur) is, was and always will be my favourite musician so I went (dressed) as him... 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.”
Hales added, "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. 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."
Nottinghamshire to take disciplinary action against Hales
Hales' domestic club Nottinghamshire also released an official statement, assuring that a full-fledged investigation will take place as per their disciplinary process when the cricketer returns to England after Big Bash League.
Meanwhile, an ECB spokesperson also said that they strongly condemn any form of discrimination and Hales will be subjected to another investigation. The incident might more or less rule out any chances of the cricketer coming back to national side, who has been out of the reckoning of England selection for some time now due to his alleged unacceptable behaviour in past.