Alex Hales rebuked by CDC for old picture of him wearing a ‘blackface’
England cricketer Alex Hales has been rebuked by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) for an old picture of him wearing a “blackface”, which was published in a national newspaper last year.
Hales had issued a public apology when the picture was published by The Sun last year. According to Sky Sports, the picture was clicked in 2009 at a New Year’s Eve Party when Hales was 20 years of age.
As per ESPNCricinfo, during the investigation, Hales questioned the need for “repeated publication of these old matters”, but adjudicator Chris Tickle ruled “the interests of transparency should prevail”.
The CDC is described by the ECB as the body that hears disciplinary cases in the professional domestic game in England and Wales and operates “at arm’s length” from the board itself.
Back in August this year, Hales was charged with breaching directive 3.3 of ECB, which states, “No such person may conduct himself in a manner or do any act or omission which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”
Hales accepted the charge and told CDC that he took steps “to ensure that the photo could not be linked to any of his social media accounts” in 2015 and 2017.
As per CDC’s report, ECB argued that Hales’ breaches of its directives in 2018, relating primarily to the 2017 street fight in Bristol, should be considered “an aggravating factor”, but Tickle disagreed.
“Neither of those breaches related to discriminatory conduct,” he wrote. “They were wholly dissimilar. Further, they occurred some eight years after the breach in this case. It would be different if it were a case of repeat offending, of Mr Hales not having learnt his lesson. At the material time – 2009 – he had a clean record. This was his first offence and it is appropriate to treat it as such.”
Hales has previously been investigated by Nottinghamshire
Hales has previously been investigated and warned by Nottinghamshire, his county, and questioned the need to give the subject “more airtime”, according to the CDC report. “I have taken this into account but consider that the interests of transparency should prevail,” Tickle wrote. “I direct that this decision should be published so as to emphasise that such posting on social media, however historical, will not be tolerated.”
Hales was a part of the victorious England team in their recent 20-20 World Cup campaign. In six matches played in the tournament, he scored 212 runs at an average of 42.20. He scored a couple of half-centuries, with a best of 86* against India. Hales was the second-highest run-scorer for England in the tournament behind Jos Buttler (225 runs).
