Chris Gayle faces Cricket Australia sanctions over controversial interview with Channel 10’s Mel McLaughlin

UPDATE: CHRIS Gayle has been fined $10,000 for for his comments to Channel 10’s Mel McLaughlin, with the money to go to the Jane McGrath Foundation.

UPDATE: CHRIS Gayle has been fined $10,000 for for his comments to Channel 10’s Mel McLaughlin, with the money to go to the Jane McGrath Foundation.

The Melbourne Renegades announced the sanction on Tuesday afternoon. Just hours earlier Gayle had touched down in Melbourne and fronted a waiting media pack where he apologised for his comments to McLaughlin during last night’s Big Bash League match.

But Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry said Gayle had been spoken to, with the club making it clear his actions were not acceptable.

“Chris’s comments were completely inappropriate and disrespectful. There is simply no place for these type of comments at the Melbourne Renegades,” Coventry said in a statement.

“The club would like to extend a formal apology to Mel McLaughlin. Mel is an outstanding sports presenter. We think of her very highly and the club and players will ensure we work with her in a professional and respectful manner in future.

“We’ve had several discussions with Chris over the past day and he has acknowledged that his comments were out of line. We would also like to formally apologise to our members, supporters and the wider public for offence caused. The club is based on values of respect towards every member of the community.

“As a result of his comments, the Renegades have fined Chris $10,000 for inappropriate conduct. The club will subsequently donate this amount to the McGrath Foundation in recognition of Jane McGrath day today.”

Speaking at Melbourne Airport this morning after touching down with his Melbourne Renegades teammates, Gayle said he didn’t mean to offend McLaughlin and his comments, which have drawn criticism from across the globe, were simply a joke.

“It seemed to be blown out of proportion. There wasn’t anything at all meant to be disrespectful to Mel,” Gayle said.

“It was a simple comment, a simple joke.

“If she felt that way, I’m really sorry for that. There wasn’t any harm meant in that particular way, to harm any particular person in any particular way like that. It was a simple joke ... I don’t know how it reached this far, to be honest. It is one of those things.”

Gayle said he’d tried to contact McLaughlin but had been unsuccessful so far.

“No, I didn’t get a chance to. I tried to reach out to her last night but it didn’t happen.”

Gayle did showed one sign of frustration with the media pack at the conclusion of his brief media conference, asking a journalist if she knew how McLaughlin had felt last night.

Chris Gayle poses for photographs with the PNG Womens Cricket Team

Cricket Australia condemned Gayle’s remarks and may impose sanctions, but chief executive James Sutherland made it clear such behaviour would not be tolerated.

“It is something that at this stage we [Cricket Australia] are dealing with internally to understand more,” Sutherland said.

“I don’t think at the end of all this Chris will be under any illusions as to what we [Cricket Australia] think of it.

Gayle signs autographs as he arrives back in Melbourne

“I am not ruling out sanctions. We need to work through and take advice from relevant people.

“I don’t want to get into speculating about what might happen and how we work through all of that. We have to weigh various things up along the way. At the end of the day, what will be the case is that certainly Chris and hopefully everyone within the cricket community knows and understands what our position is on this and why we think it is entirely inappropriate.”

REACTION: #dontblushbaby

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Former Australian captain Ian Chappell described Gayle’s apology as “arrogant” and called for the Jamaican star to be suspended.

“I think the arrogant approach at the end to that last question ... if he’s not suspended then I don’t think they’re serious about it,” he said on 3AW.

“There’s no indication of remorse or contriteness.”

Network 10 said last night that it would strip its microphone off the controversial superstar for the rest of the Big Bash League season.

Gayle sent social media into meltdown when he openly flirted with McLaughlin in his on-field interview after he was dismissed for a brilliant 41 (15 balls).

“I wanted to have an interview with you as well, that’s why I’m here,” the Jamaican said live on national television.

“I get to see your eyes for the first time, it’s nice. Hopefully we can win and go for a drink after.

“Don’t blush baby.”

A clearly uncomfortable McLaughlin finished the interview with class, but Channel 10 Head of Sport David Barham, at home watching the match on television, said McLaughlin was angered by the experience.

“Mel was good. I spoke to her immediately afterwards. I rang her and she was on the ground ... she was a bit angry and upset I suppose,” Barham told 3AW today.

“She was asking him legitimate questions about cricket and he turned it into talking about her eyes. She was a bit taken aback ... embarrassed.

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“I thought it was a bit demeaning. She was pretty composed, really, and agreed that we’ve just got to get on with the game and that’s just what she did. I thought she handled it brilliantly.

“She was angry and she was upset. She was doing her best to get an insightful interview about the cricket. That’s what her job is and she works really hard at it. She’s really well prepared. I think she was very surprised.”

Barham described the comments as “highly inappropriate” and said if he were Gayle, he would be apologising immediately.

He also defended the Big Bash commentary team amid suggestions they could be heard “sniggering” in the commentary box after the comments.

Chris Gayle of the Melbourne Renegades gives a TV interview to Mel Mclaughlin.

“I don’t think the guys up there really heard it,” he said.

“Producers were talking in their ears, there was a heap going on, it was very loud. I’m not sure they actually heard everything that was said. They were a bit stunned and a bit unsure of what had happened.

“I immediately called (host) Mark Howard and we had a long talk about it. He was very upset about it as well and that’s when he decided to make his statement.”

Howard said Gayle’s remarks were “not appropriate”, adding he “probably went a bit too far”.

“Mel’s a very strong woman and an independent woman and I know she wouldn’t have enjoyed it,” he said.

“It needs to be said at some point that that’s not what we’re about at Network 10.”

BBL boss Anthony Everard said: “[There’s] just no place in the BBL or, for that matter, cricket anywhere, for that sort of behaviour”.

A key focus of the Big Bash is to engage new audiences, with a focus on women and children.

Mr Everard said the league would “certainly” be talking to Gayle.

Welcoming party for Chris #Gayle at Melb Airport. He's expected to apologise for sexist interview blunder #7newsmelb pic.twitter.com/nBPJ6TZw4R

— Kate Jones (@Kate_Jones7) January 4, 2016

NOT NEW: Gayle not first to flirt with McLaughlin

The exchange overshadowed Gayle’s starring role in a critical win for the Gades’ finals chances.

Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield labelled the exchange “pathetic” in a string of public comments against Gayle.

Cricket Australia told clubs a key objective of this summer was to boost female interest and it successfully launched the Women’s Big Bash League last month.

Gayle last night retweeted Piers Morgan, who defended the veteran, to his 2.7 million followers.

“I’m absolutely outraged that everyone’s so absolutely outraged by @henrygayle being a bit cheeky to a female TV reporter,” Morgan tweeted.

— with Lauren Wood