England women’s cricket captain Heather Knight has been reprimanded and given a suspended £1,000 ($1,300) fine after a historical photograph of her in “blackface” emerged on social media. The incident, which occurred in 2012 at a sports-themed fancy dress party when Knight was 21, was deemed “racist and discriminatory” by Cricket Discipline Commission adjudicator Tim O’Gorman.
Knight, who is set to lead England in the Women’s T20 World Cup next month in the United Arab Emirates, expressed deep regret for her actions. “I’m truly sorry for the mistake I made in 2012. It was wrong and I have long regretted it,” she said in a statement. Knight emphasized that there was no ill intent behind her actions and that she was not as educated on the implications at the time.
Despite recognizing the conduct as racist and discriminatory, O’Gorman accepted that Knight had no racist or discriminatory intent. The judgement also acknowledged that Knight did not post the photo on social media and had no control over its dissemination. Knight’s fine has been suspended for two years, taking into account her immediate acceptance of the charges, her remorse, and her ongoing work to promote diversity and inclusion in cricket.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould supported Knight, stating, “Heather recognises this was a serious error of judgement 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.”
This incident follows a similar reprimand for Knight’s teammate Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who faced charges related to blackface from an Instagram post in 2013. Knight reiterated her commitment to using her platform to promote inclusivity across the game and to ensure that under-represented groups are given equal opportunities in cricket.
