Alex Hales, Ateeq Javid reprimanded by CDC for old social media posts

The star English cricketer Alex Hales has been reprimanded by Cricket Discipline Comminsion (CDC) over his old infamous blackface photo he posted in 2009. The photo was published by the English newspaper The Sun last year and the player was investigated by Nottinghamshire. 

Hales apologized after the Sun published the photo last year and questioned the need for "repeated publication of these old matters." But Chris Tickle, CDC adjudicator, had stated that "the interests of transparency should prevail."

Now the player has been reprimanded for a breach of code but hasn't been fined considering this as his first offense in this matter. Hales, 33, was also involved in a fight outside a bar in Bristol City in September 2017. He and Ben Stokes were fined by the ECB but the case was ruled out by CDC. Hales was also suspended for six white-ball games after pleading guilty of all charges. But Tickle has stated that both events were totally different and occurred after eight years of the first incident. He also added that Hales had a clean record before 2009 so this is considered as his first offense.

"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," Chris Tickle said in his report as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"In 2009, I attended a New Year's Eve musical tribute fancy dress party. 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. The offense that this has no doubt caused which was incredibly reckless and foolish," Hales said in an apology statement last year.

Ateeq Javid also under CDC's radar

Ateeq Javid, the former Warwickshire and Leicestershire all-rounder has also been reprimanded for his anti-semitic messages exchanged with Azeem Rafiq on Facebook in 2011.