Ian Chappell wants Chris Gayle to be banned from all T20 leagues

Sydney, Jan 8: Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has called for a worldwide ban on West Indies opener Chris Gayle for his controversial comments to a TV journalist during the Big Bash League (BBL) Twenty20 match recently.

Gayle was fined by his BBL team Melbourne Renegades Australian dollars 10,000 after he made "inappropriate" comments to a female reporter during a match in Hobart.

Following the incident, the left-handed batsman apologised to the woman journalist and called it a "simple joke". "If she felt that way, I'm really sorry for that. There wasn't any harm meant in that particular way... It was a simple joke. The game was going on. Entertainment, things get out of proportion, but these things happen... We have to move on. Simple," Gayle had said.

On Friday (January 8), Chappell called upon Cricket Australia (CA) to ban Gayle from BBL and also advised them to ask game's world governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) to keep the explosive opener out of other leagues elsewhere.

"I wouldn't have a problem if Cricket Australia said to the clubs, 'he's never to be contracted again in this country'," Chappell was quoted as saying in the Australian media today.

"And I also wouldn't have a problem if Cricket Australia said to the ICC, 'what we're doing should be worldwide'.

"You'd have to talk to the individual countries then ... but I wouldn't have a problem if it was tabled at an ICC meeting that Cricket Australia said, 'this is what we're doing and we would recommend that everybody else do the same'. How are you going to stop it otherwise?," he added.

Gayle is set to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April this year. He is a favourite of Indian crowds thanks to the big hits. He holds the highest individual score in IPL with 175 not out.

The 9th edition of IPL will be played from April 9 to May 29, 2016.

OneIndia News