Gayle to take legal action against Fairfax

Chris Gayle's management have retained the services of a "leading Australian media lawyer" with the intention of "immediately" launching defamation action against Fairfax Media over allegations that he indecently exposed himself to a woman in Sydney during the World Cup last year.

The allegation arose following Gayle's widely decried actions in an interview with the Ten Network sports presenter Mel McLaughlin while playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

The Renegades fined Gayle $10,000 for the incident, and the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland declared the West Indian opening batsman would be facing far more severe consequences if he transgressed further.

It is believed a substantiation of Fairfax Media's indecent exposure allegation against Gayle, which it claimed had taken place during a training session at the SCG before the start of the tournament, would be viewed by CA as sufficient cause to tear up his existing contract with the Renegades.

Gayle would also be banished from playing for any club in the BBL - a competition designed in part to be a welcoming tournament for females - in the future.

"Chris Gayle has strongly denied allegations first published by Fairfax Media that he indecently exposed himself to a woman during last year's World Cup in Sydney," Gayle's manager Simon Auteri said in a statement.

"Despite such denials Fairfax Media continues to publish the false and defamatory allegations which have received widespread re-publication in media throughout the world.

"As a result Chris Gayle has retained Mark O'Brien, a leading Australian media lawyer to immediately commence defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media."