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NEWS ICC Champions Trophy 2006>A joke that went wrong: Gayle 22nd Oct 2006 18.22 IST By Agencies Breaking his silence on the heated argument with Michael Clarke during West Indies' win over Australia in the ongoing Champions Trophy, Christopher Henry Gayle said the incident was just a case of a joke going wrong. Gayle also asserted that he did nothing that deserved a fine of 30 per cent of his match fee.
''I know you will be wondering what was my take on the incident with Michael Clarke in the match against Australia at the CCI ground. I'm unable to speak about it any real detail as I might be fined again and go home with no money!,'' Gayle wrote in his column for a website. ''Everything started off as a joke and then things became a bit more heated, but that’s all part of the game between two competitive teams. I don't think I crossed the line that night as was suggested but I've had to accept my punishment and I will move on and try to forget it,'' he added. Gayle said the hearings, which were conducted separately for both the players, should have been conducted jointly. ''I would just say that I was disappointed by the fact that I was fined 30 per cent of my match fee and that we should both have been in the meeting together but they were conducted separately,'' he said. The opener, who bowled a tight spell towards the end of Australian innings to ensure a 10-run victory for the West Indies, said the win had given the defending champions a major boost after the disappointing loss to Sri Lanka. ''The Australia result has given us a big boost and a lot of confidence for the rest of the Champions Trophy. We are all thinking that we can defend this Trophy,'' he said. ''The Aussies don't give you anything and so to win that was a good feeling. I thought, after being bowled out for 80 against Sri Lanka on the same ground a few days earlier, we showed a lot of character to come up with that performance,'' he further added. Gayle said West Indies were now focussed on their next match against India and expected a tough contest from Rahul Dravid 's men, who will be the firm favourites with the spectators. ''The India match we have next though will be tougher as they are in their home conditions and will have a very passionate crowd supporting them. We’ve been here before and know how intimidating the pressure can be for an opposing team taking on India in India,'' he said. ''The fact we beat them 4-1 in the West Indies and then qualified ahead of them for the final against Australia in the Malaysia tri-series last month also won't have been forgotten and I'm sure they'll be ready for us,'' he explained. Gayle said he was wary of the threat posed by Sachin Tendulkar , who has made a successful comeback after a shoulder surgery. ''There is nobody more talented than Sachin Tendulkar, who seems to have returned to form lately. We know about Sachin's capabilities but it's not a matter of our guys being worried about him. It's more to do with the fact that we have to put the ball in the right areas otherwise he will punish us -- there's no doubt about that,'' he said. Also View In-Depth Coverage: ICC Champions Trophy 2006 Team Page: West Indies Team Page: India | LIVE CRICKET COVERAGE NEWS ~ Gilchrist has no plans to retire after World Cup ~ Ganguly's new batting approach may cost him sixer record ~ India 'squash the Orange' in World Cup warm-up game ~ Symonds gets a new hairdo for World Cup ~ Dhoni readies himself for stand-up act at World Cup (more in NEWS) FACE-TO-FACE ~ 500-mark a possibility in World Cup: Hayden ~ Minnows add charm to World Cup: Dravid (more in FACE-TO-FACE) COLUMNS ~ Will Sri Lanka replicate 1996 World Cup success? (more in COLUMNS) OFF-THE-FIELD ~ Ganguly again the darling of corporate world ~ Ganguly roped in as brand ambassador of Puma (more in OFF-THE-FIELD) PLAYERS Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (more PLAYERS) TEAMS India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kenya, Holland | 
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