Somerset have confirmed that the West Indies opener Chris Gayle will return to the county to play in this summer’s T20 Blast. Gayle, who played for Somerset in last year’s competition, has signed a six-match contract despite sparking controversy after a match for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League earlier this month when he used an interview to ask out a TV news reporter live on air. “I really enjoyed my time at Somerset last year,” Gayle said.
“It’s a great club and the supporters were absolutely incredible. I’m looking forward to seeing the fans again and to scoring some more runs. Hopefully I can help the club make it through to the later stages of the NatWest T20 Blast.”
The director of cricket Matthew Maynard added: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of Chris Gayle once again. He is a genuinely world-class player and was absolutely phenomenal for us last year.
“He is probably the biggest name in the sport at the moment and his performances in the Big Bash recently have only underlined his status as one of the most explosive players that cricket has ever seen. Taunton was absolutely rocking when he was out in the middle last year and Somerset fans can look forward to more of the same in 2016.”
The 36-year-old was fined $10,000 and subsequently apologised but described his attempt to flirt with the Network Ten reporter Mel McLaughlin live on air as a “simple joke”.
After the incident, Somerset said they remained interested in signing Gayle despite chief executive Guy Lavender describing his comments as “completely inappropriate”.
“He has apologised and been punished for them, and once that process has taken place we all need to move on and take a reasonable perspective,” Lavender added.
Last week, Somerset announced that the former Australia opener Chris Rogers will succeed Marcus Trescothick as captain in the County Championship, while Jim Allenby will lead the side in limited-overs cricket. Rogers, who was once a team-mate of Gayle’s at Sydney Thunder, was outspoken in his criticism of Gayle at the time of the controversy. “This is a pattern of behaviour. If you know the guy, you see it over and over,” he said.
But any concerns that the two players could cross paths in Taunton are understood to have been allayed with Rogers only contracted to play in the longer form of the game.