James Faulkner says 'boyfriend' post was just a joke; clarifies he's not gay

What’s the story?

Australian all-rounder James Faulkner has clarified that there has been a misunderstanding regarding his instagram post, and that he is actually not gay.

In case you didn’t know...

The 29-year old Australian all-rounder had set social media abuzz with an Instagram post of his mother and “boyfriend”.

Faulkner was an integral part of Australia’s World Cup winning team of 2015. He 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.

Faulkner has represented Australia in one Test, 69 ODIs and 24 T20 Internationals. He last represented Australia in a T20 match against Sri Lanka on February 22, 2017.

The heart of the matter:

In a new post on Instagram, Faulkner wrote as to clarify his wrongly interpreted post from yesterday:

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.

Cricket Australia too confirmed that it had been a misunderstanding. Issuing a statement in this regard, CA said:

His comment was made as a genuine reflection of his relationship with his business partner, best friend and house mate of five years. He was not contacted for clarification before some outlets reported his Instagram post as an announcement of a homosexual relationship. James and CA are supportive of the LGBQTI community and recognises coming out can be an incredibly emotional time.

What’s next?

Although not a member of Australia’s squad of 15 members for the upcoming World Cup, Faulkner will look to impress through performances in domestic cricket and secure a place in next year’s World T20 squad which is scheduled to be held in Australia.