England Women’s cricket captain Heather Knight has been reprimanded and fined £1000 by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) for a photo of her in blackface from 2012. The photo, taken at a fancy-dress party, was deemed as racist and discriminatory conduct.
Knight, who was 21 at the time, promptly accepted the charges and apologized for her conduct. She stated that she was not aware of the implications of her actions at the time and that she deeply regrets her mistake.
The CDC accepted that Knight did not post the photo on social media herself and has no control over how it has been posted. However, the commission reiterated that the photo was “plainly prejudicial to the interests of cricket, brought the game and Ms Knight into disrepute, and undermined the ECB’s strategic objective of eradicating discrimination from the sport.”
Knight’s fine is suspended for two years pending her future conduct. The CDC stated that this is a specific case and is unlikely to set a precedent. The commission took into account Knight’s lack of previous disciplinary issues, her unpaid ambassadorial work around diversity and inclusion, and her completion of the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training in 2021.
Dave Lewis, interim director of the Cricket Regulator, said: “Cricket is working to become a more inclusive sport and the Cricket Regulator is committed to acting positively and impartially whenever racist behavior is reported to us.”
“In this case, Ms Knight’s behavior was discriminatory and offensive, however the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) accepted there was no racist intent in her conduct. I welcome her acknowledgment of the potential impact of her behavior, and her unreserved apology.”
Knight has expressed her commitment to using her platform to promote inclusivity in cricket and ensure that underrepresented groups are afforded the same opportunities as others.
