TWO cricketers have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute over their involvement in a WhatsApp group which shared disrespectful messages about women.

Joe Clarke, aged 23, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 24, were named during the trial of former Worcestershire all-rounder Alex Hepburn as members of a social media group where the members took part in a 'game' to collect as many sexual conquests as possible.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has charged the pair, who play for Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire respectively.

Hepburn was found guilty of rape and sentenced to five years in prison in April, but there is no suggestion that Clarke or Kohler-Cadmore's behaviour was in any way criminal.

A statement from the ECB released on Friday read: "No participant may conduct themselves in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

A press release from the ECB stated that the case would be heard by the independent Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) with the outcome published at the end of the process.

In the WhatsApp group, Hepburn posted rules of a sexual conquest competition, which he later admitted were "disgusting, horrible and embarrassing."

Hepburn, Clarke and Kohler-Cadmore all played for Worcestershire at the time of Hepburn's offence, which happened in April 2017.

Clarke and Kohler-Cadmore were both dropped from the England Lions squad that toured India in January following the revelations from their Whatsapp conversation during Hepburn's first trial.