Cricketer Chris Gayle has told a Sydney court he was devastated when he read a headline in the Age newspaper saying he had exposed his genitals to a female masseuse in the dressing room.
On day one of a defamation trial against Fairfax Media, Gayle said the incident reported on never happened and was false. Gayle said the story had travelled all over the cricketing world.
Under questioning from his own barrister, Bruce McClintock SC, Gayle said he had not seen the female masseuse that day, he had not been undressed and he had not worn a towel at any stage.
He said he was taken to the Sydney training ground in a team bus and was already wearing his kit. He entered the dressing room only to put on his cricket boots.
McClintock said in his opening address to the jury that the international cricketer would show that the very serious allegations were entirely false and Fairfax has been reckless and malicious in publishing them. He said they never happened and they could never have happened.
Gayle said the stories published in January last year have already ruined his reputation, upset his partner and had caused him the most hurt he had ever experienced.
The articles said the all-rounder had “indecently propositioned” a woman in the West Indies team dressing room during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
When his agent called him to tell him a journalist was asking if he had exposed his genitals he was not given any details and he denied the allegation.
He said he did not know who made the allegation or if there were any witnesses.
On the day it was published he saw people on TV calling for him to be banned.
“I felt devastated,” he said, adding he had never been more hurt in his life as cricket was his livelihood.
Under cross-examination by counsel for Fairfax Media, Matthew Collins SC, Gayle denied he had said to the team masseuse Leanne Russell in 2013: “Do you want to come and touch me up baby”.
“Never,” said Gayle.
Gayle said he couldn’t remember how many times Russell had treated him with a massage for an injury but it was only once or twice because he didn’t think she was a good masseuse.
The West Indian cricketer said when the team was sent an email by team manager Sir Richie Richardson about Russell feeling “uncomfortable” in the dressing room he had no idea what she was referring to.
Gayle, 38, turned up to court dressed in a black suit and blue shirt teamed with black patent leather shoes.
The case continues on Tuesday and witnesses still to be called include Russell and the Fairfax journalists who wrote the reports in question.
