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London, September 24 (HS). England women's cricket team captain Heather Knight has been reprimanded and fined 1,000 Great Britain pounds by the Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) for a 2012 blackface photo, her behavior was deemed “racist and discriminatory conduct”.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the photo, taken by a third party at a sports star-themed fancy dress party at a cricket club party in 2012, violated England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Directive 3.3, which at the time stated, “No person may conduct himself in a manner or do any act or omission which is detrimental to the interests of cricket or which brings the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”
Knight, who was 21 at the time, admitted to the charges and apologised for her conduct.
In a statement released by the ECB, Knight said, “I am truly sorry for the mistake I made in 2012. It was wrong, and I have long regretted it. At the time, I was not as educated about the implications and consequences of my actions as I am now. I had no ill intentions.”
“While I can’t change the past, I am passionate and committed to using my platform to promote inclusivity in sport and ensure that underrepresented groups receive the same opportunities and satisfaction within sport as I have had,” she added.
This is the first time Knight has been involved in any disciplinary proceedings and her work as an unpaid ambassador around diversity and inclusion was also considered. In 2021, she underwent the Professional Cricketers' Association's equality, diversity and inclusion training which, along with her co-operation, led to a lighter punishment.
Dave Lewis, interim director of cricket regulators, told ESPNcricinfo, “The cricket regulator is working to make the game a more inclusive one, and whenever racist behaviour is reported to us, we are committed to acting in a positive and fair manner. Knight's behaviour in this case was discriminatory and offensive, however, the Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) accepted that there was no racist intent in his conduct. I welcome his acknowledgement of the potential impact of his behaviour and his unconditional apology.”
He added: “In deciding his sentence, the CDC also considered that the offence occurred 12 years ago, Knight was 21 at the time, and he had received very little education on such matters at the time. There was significant evidence about him being a positive role model, his voluntary work and the positive influence he has had on players of different ethnicities and backgrounds. I hope this continues throughout his career in the game.”
