Melbourne, Jan 4 (Agencies) : West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle, who is playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, has come under stern criticism for his comments dirung an interview with a female TV presenter in his team's victory over Hobart Hurricanes.
Mel McLaughlin, a reporter with the official broadcaster of the league, interviewed Gayle shortly after he was dismissed. She asked the batsman on his aggressive batting to which he replied: “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. It’s nice so. Hopefully we can win this game and have a drink after. Don’t blush, baby.”
McLaughlin handled the situation by replying that she is not blushing.
BBL boss Anthony Everard released a statement shortly after the incident which said:
“I heard Chris’ comments and they are disrespectful and simply inappropriate. We’ll certainly be talking to him and the Renegades about it. This league is all about its appeal to kids, families and females,” he said.
“There’s just no place in the BBL — or, for that matter, cricket anywhere — for that sort of behaviour,” he added.
Channel 10 commentator Mark Howard later apologised to the viewers saying that Chris Gayle went too far in his interview with Mel McLaughlin.
“We won’t be using (Gayle) in the game (BBL) anymore. Unless things change in the next few days, it’s not happening,” David Barham, Channel 10 head of sport, told the Herald Sun.
Channel Ten had tweeted the incident’s video with ‘#smooth’. The tweeted has since been deleted.
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