Cricketer convicted of rape, banned from sport for 10 years allowed to play in Australia

A cricketer who has been banned from playing cricket in England and Wales for 10 years will be allowed to play in Western Australia.

An Australian cricketer who was jailed for five years for rape and banned from playing cricket in England and Wales for the next 10 years is currently set to play in Australia.

Alex Hepburn, now 28, was convicted of one count of oral rape and sentenced to five years in prison in 2019 after being found guilty of an attack he carried out in the UK during the first night of a sexual conquest “game” he helped to set up on a WhatsApp group.

Hepburn, who had been playing for Worcestershire in the English county cricket, was released in October 2021 after serving two years of his five year sentence.

He has not played professionally since he was arrested in April 2017.

However, last month the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) charged the cricketer with two breaches of ECB Directive 3.3, one relating to his conviction and the other due to his participation in the WhatsApp group the judge labelled a “pathetic sexist game to collect as many sexual encounters as possible”.

While the second charge was backdated and deemed to have already been served, the first charge is a 10-year ban, also backdated to the date of his release on October 30, 2021.

Alex Hepburn after being convicted of rape in 2019. Photo: Aaron Chown PA Wire

A statement from the Cricket Regulator said: “Mr Hepburn failed to respond to the charge letter and related communication. As such, the CDC panel reached its decision in his absence. Mr Hepburn has not appealed the CDC panel’s decision.”

But Hepburn, who has returned to Australia, has reportedly been given the green light to play local cricket in Western Australia.

“The Cricket Discipline Commission and Cricket Regulator in the UK have no jurisdiction in Western Australia,” a WA Cricket Association spokesperson said.

“The Western Australian District Cricket Council is responsible for decisions relating to player eligibility in the Premier Cricket competition.

“From WA Cricket down to club cricket there are systems and policies in place to safeguard and protect those playing our game.”

Hepburn played for Willetton before joining Worcester and returned to the WA club in January.

However, the WA District Cricket Council is set to reassess the decision in its next meeting.

WA Cricket interim CEO Justin Michael told The West Australian that Hepburn’s situation would be discussed, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d ask the council to reconsider.

“WA Cricket don’t condone that behaviour. The decision sits with the District Cricket Council, who have made that decision,” he said.

“I have had conversations with the chair of the District Council and they are going to bring up Alex’s case at their next meeting.

“In WA cricket and sport, you want to be sure you are creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. That’s not just in cricket it’s in all sports and that’s what we are trying to do with the WACA Ground improvement project, we want everyone to feel a safe space all year round, which is really important.”

Alex Hepburn in Worcestershire County Cricket Club T20 Blast colours in 2017. Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images

Hepburn also played in Willeton’s second-grade match on Saturday against Mount Lawley, scoring 18 off 41 balls in a seven wicket victory.

Hepburn was found guilty of oral rape in 2019 in a four-day trial at Worcester Crown Court heard the woman wrongly thought she was having sex with Hepburn’s then county teammate Joe Clarke after meeting him at a nightclub.

She told jurors she had consensual sex with England Lions batsman Clarke, who left his bedroom in the early hours to be sick in a bathroom, where he passed out.

Hepburn told jurors he had drunk the equivalent of 20 bottles of beer before he found the woman alone on a mattress at the flat he shared with Mr Clarke.

Claiming he reasonably believed the woman had consented, Hepburn told jurors she had rolled over in bed, kissed him, and instigated “normal” consensual sex.

But the woman told the court she was sleeping at the start of the encounter and had believed she was with Mr Clarke until Hepburn spoke in an Australian accent.

Hepburn also lost an appeal to have his conviction overturned in 2020.

Originally published as Cricketer convicted of rape, banned from sport for 10 years allowed to play in Australia