Cricketer Alex Hepburn has been given the green light to play in Australia despite his ban from the sport in England and Wales for raping a sleeping woman.

The West Australian Cricket Association confirmed that Hepburn will continue playing in the WA league for the Willetton Dragons, just days after his ban.

The professional sportsman, 28, who played in the UK for Worcestershire, was imprisoned in 2019 after committing the rape after setting up a group chat for a ‘sexual conquest contest’.

Following an appeal in 2020 his conviction for the attack inside a flat in Worcester was upheld, but he was released in 2021.

This year, Hepburn was charged by the Cricket Regulator with two breaches of the 2017 England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Directives.

In September, the independent Cricket Discipline Commission decided to hand Hepburn a ten-year ban after he failed to respond to the breaches.

The rapist will also have to undergo ‘appropriate professional treatment’ relating to the events which had him convicted.

the talented all-rounder was found guilty of raping a woman in 2019

Despite the ban, the the WA District Cricket Council has allowed Hepburn to continue playing in Australia.

‘The Cricket Discipline Commission and Cricket Regulator in the UK have no jurisdiction in Western Australia,’ a WA Cricket Association spokeswoman said.

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

The West Australian Cricket Association confirmed that Hepburn will continue playing in the WA league for the Willetton Dragons

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

Joe Clarke and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hepburn’s former teammates, were charged by the ECB in 2019 for bringing the game into disgrace after being part of the WhatsApp group. The pair were not charged with any criminal offence.