Knight admits historical blackface social media post

England women captain Heather Knight admits a charge over a historical social media post when she was pictured in blackface.

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Heather Knight has been England captain since 2016 England captain Heather Knight has admitted a charge over a social media post in 2012 when she was pictured in blackface. Knight, who was 21 at the time, was attending an end-of-season fancy dress party at a cricket club in Kent. A picture of Knight in blackface was posted to the Facebook account of another individual. She has been reprimanded by the Cricket Discipline Commission and fined £1,000, which is suspended for two years. “I’m truly sorry for the mistake I made in 2012,” said the 33-year-old in a statement issued via the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). “It was wrong, and I have long regretted it. Back then, I simply was not as educated as to the implications and consequences of my actions as I have become since. There was no ill-intent meant. “Whilst I can’t change the past, I am passionate and committed to using my platform to promote inclusivity across the game, ensuring under-represented groups are afforded the same opportunities and fulfilment within the game as I have.” Knight has been captain of the England women’s team since 2016 and will continue to lead the side at the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next month. The batter has been with England on their training camp in Abu Dhabi since 13 September. Heather Knight will lead England in the T20 World Cup in the UAE ECB chief executive Richard Gould added: “Heather recognises this was a serious error of judgment which took place more than 10 years ago and has rightly apologised. “As a public figure and leader, Heather has worked tirelessly to foster a more inclusive and equitable future for cricket. “She has championed initiatives to promote diversity and strongly advocated for marginalised communities. She has shown herself to be a positive role model. “While we cannot change the past, we can certainly learn from it. This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing work to combat racism and discrimination.” When Knight attended the party with a ‘sports stars’ theme 12 years ago she had already been an England player for more than two years. The photograph of Knight was reported to the Cricket Regulator in July of this year and she was charged in August. At the time she was captain of London Spirit in The Hundred, which the side went on to win. Interim director of the Cricket Regulator Dave Lewis said: “Cricket is working to become a more inclusive sport and the Cricket Regulator is committed to acting positively and impartially whenever racist behaviour is reported to us. “In this case, Ms Knight’s behaviour was discriminatory and offensive, however the Cricket Discipline Commission accepted there was no racist intent in her conduct. I welcome her acknowledgment of the potential impact of her behaviour, and her unreserved apology.” Get cricket news sent straight to your phone Premier League: Southampton 2-0 up, Fulham miss penalty against Villa, Man Utd 0-0 Brentford Tottenham blow away West Ham as Kudus sent off in dominant derby win New Zealand beat Great Britain to win America’s Cup The drone that started a riot How a politically charged match between Serbia and Albania descended into violent chaos Life and death decisions on the frontline Meet the people making sure every second counts Should we take teenagers more seriously? Dr Lucy Foulkes argues that our adolescence shapes us David uncovers the hidden histories of two buildings Discover the lives of residents in London and Berlin during World War Two The black coaches leading Orlando Pride to success Which Premier League players have been surprise packages? Pakistan pitch plan a compliment to England Why Chelsea are now seeing ‘real’ Caicedo – Potter Desperate measures bring Pakistan a moment of salvation Rebuilding an empire – how Patriots hope to avoid Man Utd mistakes ‘Never give up’ – Calafiori’s journey from big injury to Premier League How did Tuchel’s England appointment happen so quickly and quietly? From heart op to England return – how Isiekwe fought back From Accrington Stanley to England No 2 – who is ‘all round good egg’ Barry? What does Norris need to do to beat Verstappen? Why the short contract? How will he play? Tuchel’s England move explained Eliminated England aren’t fit enough – Hartley Tuchel – a sacrifice of principle or best man for England job? Vote now for your BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year All too familiar as England crumble when it matters most Is there a danger of F1 becoming the best rich drivers? Meet the nominees for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. VideoMeet the nominees for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year ‘I joked I’d give him £500 if he scored’ – but did Trent experiment work? Chepngetich breaks marathon world record. VideoChepngetich breaks marathon world record © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

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