Firstly, let’s be clear, neither Joe Clarke or Tom-Kohler-Cadmore are on trial but as soon as the former’s name popped up in Alex Hepburn rape trial articles, you couldn’t help but think it could cost him. It has! He and TKC have been dropped from the England Lions squad.
Consent is consent and not everybody settles down with a partner for life. Whether it’s in the clubs, online or wherever, people hook up for sex then move on to the next person. Clarke may consider himself unfortunate that this has all come out but the WhatsApp element of this story is particularly unsavoury. It’s embarrassing for Worcestershire even though Clarke and TKC have moved on. The suggestion is that a number of young Worcestershire cricketers are in the group.
Clarke has just relocated to Nottinghamshire and has long been touted for England honours by ex-skipper Michael Vaughan. He might have to try even harder to achieve such an honour now. For Yorkshire recruit TKC, a player who is a genuine top order white-ball option for England, he’s just fallen down the pecking order too.
