In what appears to be a reversal of position, chief executive James Sutherland told News Corp. on Saturday that Cricket Australia would not involve itself in a recruitment issue unless it involved a player implicated in match-fixing.

Gayle was fined $10,000 for his sexist remarks to Channel 10 journalist Mel McLaughlin during a Big Bash League match. Sutherland had described it as “completely inappropriate” and “bordering on harassment.”

On Saturday, however, Sutherland said it was not Cricket Australia’s role to exclude players from the Big Bash League.

“No matter what anyone at Cricket Australia thought at management level, board level, I think you’re on a slippery slope if you start making judgments on players who could or shouldn’t be playing in the Big Bash League or in our domestic competitions,” he said.