Alex Hales apologises for “incredibly disrespectful” blackface photo

Hales has explained he was attending a fancy dress party as Tupac Shakur

Former England cricketer Alex Hales has issued an apology after a photo was published which showed him wearing black make-up. Hales, who has this week denied allegations that he named his own dog after a racial slur, has said he was attempting to pay tribute to late rapper Tupac Shakur at a 2009 New Year's Eve party. The picture was published in The Sun and Hales has now responded in a video posted on his Instagram account. Explaining that he was at a fancy dress party in 2009, Hales says: "The theme was musicians and Tupac is, was and always will be my favourite musician so I went as him. "I obviously realise that this is incredibly disrespectful and i want to apologise for all the offence that this has no doubt caused. It was incredibly reckless and foolish on my behalf. "I want to apologise for that, apologise to the club for the embarrassment it will have caused them. "I guess my twenties were full of mistakes like that - reckless mistakes off the field that let down family, let down teammates, let down friends, close relationships I had during my twenties. "Some of those decisions I'll regret for the rest of my life." https://www.instagram.com/p/CWcr3QSj9oN/

• Nottinghamshire batter Alex Hales denies ‘racial connotations’ behind naming dog ‘Kevin’
• Azeem Rafiq apologises for anti-semitic messages he sent on Facebook
• Azeem Rafiq calls for the BBC to take action against Michael Vaughan