Embattled West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle said he will sue Fairfax Media (one of the largest media companies in Australia and New Zealand) for defamation after it published allegations he exposed himself to an Australian woman while in Sydney, Australia to train for the 2015 Cricket World COP.
The 36-year-old Jamaican hard-hitting batsman issued a statement recently saying he had retained media lawyer Mark O’Brien and would “immediately commence defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media.”
“Cricketer Chris Gayle has strongly denied allegations first published by Fairfax Media that he indecently exposed himself to an Australian woman during last year’s World Cup in Sydney,” the statement said.
Fairfax Media said it was standing by the report, while Cricket Australia was said to be investigating the incident.
The allegations were made by an Australian woman who was working around the players. She claimed she went into the dressing room to get a sandwich after she thought the team had left and found Gayle, who had a towel wrapped around him, partially exposed his genitals and asked, “Are you looking for this?”
The alleged incident was reported after Gayle came under fire for his sexist remarks made to Channel 10 reporter Mel McLaughlin, during an interview after a recent Big Bash League game in Hobart.
“I wanted to come and have an interview with you as well, that’s the reason why I’m here. Just to see your eyes for the first time,” Gayle said after he struck a fast 41 off 15 balls for Melbourne Renegades at Bellerive Oval.
He continued; “So hopefully we can win this game and we can have a drink after. Don’t blush, baby.”
His comments were branded as “disrespectful and inappropriate’ and was slapped with an Aus$10,000 (US$7,000) fine.
