Davies announces he is gay

• Reuters

England wicketkeeper Steven Davies has announced he is gay, saying it was a "massive relief" to speak openly about his sexuality.

Davies told the Daily Telegraph he had told his international colleagues about his sexuality after being called up for the Ashes Tour to Australia starting last year.

"I'm comfortable with who I am and happy to say who I am in public," said Davies, who did not make England's World Cup squad.

He added: "This is the right time for me ... I feel it is right to be out in the open about my sexuality. If more people do it, the more acceptable it will become. That must be a good thing.

"To speak out is a massive relief for me, but if I can just help one person to deal with their sexuality then that's all I care about."

Davies said he had received full support from England skipper Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior, who was preferred to him for the World Cup squad.

He also said he had felt encouraged to make his announcement after seeing former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas come out in 2009.

Writing in the Telegraph, Thomas praised Davies's courage and said he would become a better player with the issue out in the open.

"When you are a professional sportsman you have to be 100 per cent in the moment, and I know that I played many years of 90 per cent in the moment and 10 percent listening to the crowd," he said.

"That's why it's good for young sports people to come out early and be the best they possibly can through their career.

"There comes a point where you think that the whole world is against you, and then you say to yourself -- I can carry on in this dark little world or I can be honest with everybody and live the life I want."

Fair play to the lad,   really hope he doesn't get sledged for it!