Joe Clarke to learn fate at disciplinary hearing on Thursday

Troubled Nottinghamshire batsman Joe Clarke is expected to learn on Thursday what punishment, if any, he will face from the ECB over his role in the infamous WhatsApp messaging group that came to light during the trial of his jailed former Worcestershire team-mate Alex Hepburn.

Clarke is due to appear before the independent Cricket Discipline Commission to answer charges that he brought cricket into disrepute by being part of the group, in which the members discussed sexual conquests. Yorkshire's Tom Kohler-Cadmore has also been charged by the ECB with bringing the game into disrepute.

Hepburn was found guilty of rape in April and jailed for five years.

Neither Clarke nor Kohler-Cadmore were charged with any criminal offence and there is no suggestion of any criminal wrongdoing by the pair, who have already been punished to a degree by their exclusion from the England Lions squad.

Clarke has suffered a slump in form since the Hepburn verdict, scoring just 143 runs in his last 13 Championship innings, with questions asked about whether Nottinghamshire can afford to keep accommodating him in their line-up as they fight to avoid relegation from Division One.

Head coach Peter Moores is pleased that matters may now be coming to a head, hoping that "closure" to the issue might help Clarke regain his focus.

"Joe's situation will come to a close quickly now," he said. "If I have a view, it's that there needs to be closure so everyone can move on with his game. For the matter to reach a conclusion would be good for him."

Moores admitted it had been difficult to quantify the effect that Hepburn's trial and the disrepute charge had had on Clarke's form.

"Assessing the impact something has on a player's game is never an exact science," he said. "You never know exactly what is going on in someone's head.

"But Joe's approach to his cricket has been top notch. He works hard. What happened with him is a tough one he has to work through it."