London - Former England batsman Alex Hales denied on Wednesday there was "any racial connotation" in the name of his dog after allegations by ex-Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq.
Rafiq told a British parliamentary committee on Tuesday that former team mate Gary Ballance used 'Kevin' as a derogatory term and that Hales had given his dog that name because the animal was black.
"Having heard the allegations made against me, I categorically and absolutely deny there was any racial connotation in the naming of my dog," Hales, who plays for Nottinghamshire, said in a statement.
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"I entirely respect and have huge sympathy for both the stance Azeem Rafiq has taken and what he has had to endure. His evidence was harrowing.
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"There is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind in cricket and I will gladly co-operate with any investigation the game's authorities choose to hold."
#AzeemRafiq alleges it is an open-secret in the #England dressing room that "the name 'Kevin' was used in a derogatory manner ... to describe any [player] of colour", and alleges England batsman Alex Hales even named his dog Kevin "because it was black."
Nottinghamshire said in a statement that, following Tuesday's testimony to the select committee, they had "commenced the appropriate internal process and will continue to liaise with Alex and his advisers accordingly."
Reuters