Chappel’s call to ban Gayle is ridiculous

Editor: Some sportsmen are known to be proud and are not approachable; some are friendly; and a few are humourous. Chris Gayle, the hard-hitting Jamaican/West Indian batsman, in my view, is “down to earth” and a good mixer, so much so, he finds himself in trouble. He was accused of exposing himself to a female attendant in his dressing room during the World Cup and was fined $10,000 for being impolite to a female reporter.

I saw the interview and he merely said: “Just to see your eyes for the first time… don’t blush baby … we can have a drink later….” In my view, he made the statement in jest. He was merely joking. The reporter did not seem to be offended by his statement.

However, he was fined $10,000, which, in my view, was severe. Now, for the former Australian captain Ian Chappel to call for a worldwide ban in my view, is ridiculous. The 72-year-old former batsman would have never called for a ban,­ against an Australian or an English player for inappropriate comments.

Some players go overboard at times with their comments, but in most cases, the statements are made in jest and not to insult or annoy anyone.

Oscar Ramjeet