After a week of headlines, Chris Gayle failed to fire in his first innings since his infamous Big Bash League sideline interview with Channel Ten's Mel McLaughlin.
The West Indian hit 21 runs from 21 balls in Saturday night's eight-wicket loss to Melbourne Stars that has his side's BBL05 campaign on the ropes.
Gayle was fined $10,000 by Renegades and was widely condemned for the comments he made to McLaughlin during Monday night's BBL clash against Hobart Hurricanes.
"In speaking to him, and also his body language told me, it hasn't affected him," Renegades skipper Cameron White said of the storm of controversy that followed Monday night's fateful exchange with McLaughlin.
"I would have said the same thing if he had made nought or 200 tonight."
Gayle opened the innings with Tom Cooper against Melbourne Stars at Etihad Stadium and was nearly out for a duck after he skied the first ball he faced.
After a circumspect period as he got his eye in, Gayle hit two towering sixes before he was caught in the deep by Rob Quiney off the bowling of Marcus Stoinis in the ninth over.
He was not approached for an interview as he departed the playing field via the players race, instead of walking to the bench, before later joining his teammates on the sideline.
McLaughlin reported on the match but did so from the commentary box rather than the sideline.
Network Ten confirmed via a Cricket Australia spokesperson before the game that it was a pre-planned move as part of McLaughlin's regular rotation between the two roles - not an attempt to avoid an awkward meeting between the pair.
If Gayle was nervous about his first public appearance following a week of controversy he didn't show it before the match.
He smiled, chatted and shared the occasional hug with Renegades WBBL players as they milled around the warm-up area following their win over Sydney Thunder in the curtain-raiser.
Gayle has posted three scores in the forties in his six BBL05 innings for Renegades - a solid contribution without really taking a game by the scruff of the neck.
"It would be nice to get an 80 or a hundred from anyone and hopefully in these last two games we'll see that," White replied when asked if Gayle needed to play a larger role as a star import.
"But we just want him to entertain. I'd really like to see him play like he did against the Hurricanes (when he scored 41 off 15 balls) - I want to see that Chris Gayle."
Share
