Gayle Proves Renegade with Moody

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Chris Gayle continues to poke fun at January’s incident with television presenter Mel McLaughlin, telling former Australian player and pundit Tom Moody not to blush in an interview during a Pakistan Super League match.

"Cheers Tom. Don’t blush, Tom,” Gayle said after an interview with former Australia player Moody.

Gayle was fined $10,000 by Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Melbourne Renegades and infuriated Cricket Australia officials at the start of the year when he appeared to make several passes at McLauglin during a live TV interview.

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The Jamaican slugger earned widespread condemnation for attempting to flirt with Ten Network’s McLaughlin, telling the journalist “Your eyes are beautiful, hopefully we can have a drink”, before quipping “don’t blush baby”.

The Australian journalist appeared visibly upset, and responded “I’m not blushing”, before a wave of online criticism prompted Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland to applaud condemnation of Gayle’s comments.

“I’m pleased to see the public response to say these comments are not acceptable, we certainly echo those thoughts and comments,” he said.

Gayle said later in an apology: “A lot of things have occurred from a simple comment, a joke, a simple joke. It seems it went out of proportion.”

“There wasn’t anything at all meant to be disrespectful to Mel, or offensive.

“If she felt that way, then I am really sorry for that. There wasn’t any harm meant. It was a simple joke.”

Gayle however then teed off at critics in an impassioned and explicit rant on social media once the BBL season finished.

Chris Gayle hits out at 'haters' in Instagram rant

Currently in the United Arab Emirates taking part in Pakistan’s T20 league, Gayle has now revisited the episode unprompted.

After the comment to Moody, the West Indies star retweeted a supporter who invites his current Pakistan Super League employers to also fine the batsman.

It has recently been confirmed that Somerset will invite Gayle to play for them in the T20 Blast.

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Sammy Seeks Better WIndies Player Deal

West Indies players will be thrown off the squad for the World Twenty20 if they do not agree to financial terms by Sunday’s deadline, according to the head of the region’s cricket board.

The hard-line stance comes in the wake of reports that the 15-man squad, upset at a huge pay cut, has rejected the contract offered by West Indies Cricket Board.

Cricinfo on Tuesday published a letter from Darren Sammy to the WICB in which the West Indies captain said the financial terms for the World Twenty20, which starts in India on 8 March, were unacceptable.

“We want to represent the West Indies but the financials on offer we can’t accept,” Sammy wrote.

WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead did not sound in a negotiating mood, however, when he spoke on Jamaican radio. “The WICB is committed to play in the tournament, let me say that first,” Muirhead said on Hitz 92fm.

“No one will leave the shores of the West Indies without signing a contract and if these players in particular choose not to sign, then I guess we’ll be left with no option but to substitute other players for them.”

Muirhead added that the board was not in a position to improve the remuneration package, negotiated with the players association nine months ago.

“They have had lots of time to digest and argue and do everything,” he said. “Five of the players were instrumental and were there at the onset, so at this point, I’m hoping that the players will sign and take advantage of the other benefits that are there.”

He said that players would receive half of any shirt sponsorship the board negotiates in addition to a portion of prize money.

Although West Indies cricket has fallen on hard times in the test format, it remains a major player in the shortest form of the game. West Indies won the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and are currently ranked second in the world. This year’s squad includes dashing batsmen Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard.

Sammy, who requested an urgent meeting before Sunday’s deadline, has proposed the players participate in the World Twenty20 under the same conditions as at previous tournaments.

He said players were facing a pay cut of nearly 80% and stood to earn only $21,000 apiece this year, compared to $135,000 at the last tournament.

The latest impasse between WICB and the players comes some 18 months after the premature end of West Indies’ tour of India because of a longstanding payment dispute.

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No KP at Twenty20 - Captain Morgan

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Eoin Morgan has unequivocally ended any faint hopes Kevin Pietersen might have had of being selected in England’s ICC World Twenty20 squad on Wednesday.

Pietersen’s exile from the England team since the end of the 2013-14 Ashes has been well documented, with the England and Wales Cricket Board director, Andrew Strauss, citing a “massive trust issue” in ruling out a return last year.

The batsman’s outstanding form for Melbourne Stars in the Ram Slam T20 in South Africa and Australia’s Big Bash League led to speculation of a recall for the 35-year-old in the shortest format of the game.

But limited-overs captain Morgan told the Daily Mail: “That door is completely shut. Kevin will not be picked. That’s from me.”

Pietersen responded on Twitter: “Interesting he’s saying it’s HIS call! Very interesting! Hmmmmm...!”

Earlier, Pietersen championed the cause of his Melbourne Stars team-mate Luke Wright, who has not played for England in nearly two years but also impressed in the recently-concluded BBL.

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