Female journalists blast serial ‘creep’ Chris Gayle
Two of Australia’s leading female sports journalists have slammed Chris Gayle as a serial creep.
The Renegades opener has come under fire for his pitch-side interview with Network Ten’s Mel McLaughlin during Monday night’s Big Bash League match in Hobart.
During it, he said he wanted to see McLaughlin’s eyes, asked her for a drink and added: “don’t blush baby.”
• Gayle brushes off interview as simple joke
• ‘Don’t blush baby’: Chris Gayle swings and misses
• McLaughlin ‘angry, upset’ after Chris Gayle interview
Speaking on ABC Grandstand on Tuesday, Fox Sports journalist Neroli Meadows said Gayle has a long history of being disrespectful to women.
“He’s done it before, he’s done it to me, he’s done it to several women – he does this constantly,” Meadows said.
“He is a creep, he has creepy behaviour.
“Chris did this to me five or six years ago when he first joined the Thunder.
“It was big news in Sydney, and the entire squad was in the back of that press conferrence.
“He went at me once in the press conference. Ok, fine, whatever, you’re having a laugh, you’re Chris Gayle. He did it again. It’s cringy, you could almost hear the cringing.
“And then to come up afterwards, stand over me: ‘so when are we going for this drink?’
“He’s a big guy, it makes you feel intimidated.”
ESPN Cricinfo’s Melinda Farrell became emotional when discussing Gayle’s behaviour towards women.
“She (McLaughlin) just shouldn’t have been put in that position, she was clearly uncomfortable,” Farrell said.
“She’s kind of in a difficult position now where if she says something she’s going to be lambasted and if she doesn’t say something she’s going to be lambasted.
“We probably accept things that we shouldn’t because no one wants to be that girl, (as) in the Jamie Briggs incident, where all the attention is now focused on that person.”
Meadows said the incident runs much deeper than the 30 seconds of air-time seen on Network Ten.
“I knew straight away he was going to do it, the moment that he got out he was going to go off and he was going to say something to that effect,” she said.
“Mel knew it was going to happen, you could tell by her body language … she pulled away.
“What really disappoints me is that people still laugh.
“It happens, situations like that, 10 times a day when you’re a female in this sports industry.
“It is, as they say, the tip of the iceberg.”