Out of favour Australia all-rounder James Faulkner took to Instagram to clarify that he is not gay after it was mistaken that he is in a same sex relationship following a photograph he posted.
Faulkner on Monday shared a photograph of himself having dinner with his mother Roslyn Carol Faulkner and his boyfriend of five years, Rob Jubb.
"Birthday dinner with the boyfriend @robjubbsta and my mother @roslyn_carol_faulkner #togetherfor5years," read the caption.
Following that, it was assumed that Faulkner is gay but the all-rounder once again took to social media to clarify that he is not gay.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding about my post from last night, I am not gay, however it has been fantastic to see the support from and for the LBGT community. Let’s never forget love is love, however @robjubbsta is just a great friend. Last night marked five years of being house mates! Good on everyone for being so supportive," he said in the Instagram post.
The 29-year-old played has so far played one Test, 69 ODIs and 24 T20 internationals, Faulkner had last donned the Aussie baggy green in a T20 match against Sri Lanka at the Adelaide on February 22, 2017. The all-rounder had won the Man of the Match award in the 2015 World Cup final which Australia had won by beating New Zealand by 7 wickets.
However, despite Faulkner not being in a same sex relationship. There have been other sportsperson who have come out and revealted the same. But, the number of such instances in cricket, especially in the men's section, has been scarce.
In 2011, former England international Steven Davies became the sport's first active professional player to announce that he is gay. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who played 8 ODIs and 5 T20Is for England, made his revelations in a newspaper interview with The Daily Telegraph.
On July 9, 2018, South Africa women's cricket team captain Dane van Niekerk and teammate Marizanne Kapp tied the knot, becoming the second couple among the current batch of international cricketers to get married after New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu.
After four years of courtship, Kiwi women cricketers Satterthwaite and Tahuhu got engaged in 2014 before getting married in March 2017.
More recently, on April 19, two women cricketers tied the knot after New Zealand batswoman Hayley Jensen, who has played 8 ODIs and 20 T20Is, married uncapped Australian cricketer Nicola Hancock.
(With inputs from IANS)
