England cricketer Steven Davies comes out

England cricketer Steve Davies came out to his teammates at the start of The Ashes tour, according to The Sun (28-02-11). Speaking to a reporter from the paper, Steve explained that he couldn't face a three and a half month tour without explaining to his team that he was gay. He praised Gareth Thomas for setting an example for gay sports professionals and advised young people who know they are gay to go out and talk to someone.

Steve has been out to his close friends and family since he was nineteen, but kept his sexual orientation a secret in public and in his profession.In the interview, he described how hard this was, saying that the moments on the field were great, but the social side of it was very difficult. He praised the team, and particularly captain Andrew Strauss, for their support.

Read the full article in the Sun here. There is also an article in the Telegraph here.