IPL 2016: Darren Sammy defends Chris Gayle, says he is a soft target for media
Two-time World T20 winning West Indies captain Darren Sammy has defended his teammate Chris Gayle, who has once again found himself in the middle of a sexism row due to some crude comments in a recent interview.
The big Jamaican was vividly criticized for asking Australian television broadcaster Mel McLaughlin out on a date in a live interview during a Big Bash League match earlier this year. The Royal Challengers Bangalore opener sparked yet another controversy by asking The Times journalist a string of inappropriate questions.
The latest incident has also been criticized but his compatriot Darren Sammy chose to play down the recent incident. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, Sammy termed Gayle as an entertainer and said that his outspoken nature makes him a soft target in the media.
Sammy called the 36-year-old “the universe boss” and also talked about the amount of admiration and respect he has for the big hitter. He said, "Chris Gayle is the universe boss, a team-mate of mine who I admire and respect. I just think people target Chris for no reason.”
Also read: Chris Gayle: A look back at the controversial history of the West Indian
The 32-year-old all-rounder said that Gayle is one of the great entertainers of the game and one of the cricketing heroes for him. He said, "To me, Chris is one of our cricketing heroes. He's an entertainer, first, but a lot of people have jumped on his back.”
The St Lucia-born cricketer then added that he will continue to support Gayle because of his cricketing exploits but also believes that cricketers also have responsibilities outside the field. He then concluded on the issue and said that Gayle is a targetted by the media for headlines.
He said, "I always support Chris because of what he does on a cricket field. Yes, we have a responsibility to ourselves, and the people who watch us, but sometimes I feel Chris is a target for newspaper headlines."
Sammy is currently in England for this season’s NatWest T20 Blast. The all-rounder will play for Hampshire and will make his debut in this year’s tournament against Kent on next Thursday.
Earlier this year after Gayle’s incident with Mel McLaughlin, former Australian captain Ian Chappell said that he should be banned from BBL and just a few days earlier BBL team Melbourne Renegades confirmed that they will not renew the contract of the Caribbean opener.