English cricketer sorry for appearing in blackface at party

LONDON (AP) — English cricketer Alex Hales has apologized after the publication of a photo showing him in blackface portraying Tupac Shakur at a party in 2009. The apology comes amid an ongoing crisis in English cricket sparked by whistleblower Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about the racism he suffered while playing at Yorkshire. The 32-year-old Hales is a former England batsman who plays for Nottinghamshire. He says in a two-minute long Instagram post that he dressed as his favorite musician for a costume party. Hales adds, “I obviously realize this is incredibly disrespectful and I want to apologize for the offense that this has no doubt caused.”