Why I was Happy to Pose Naked for a Gay Magazine

Cover story: The photoshoot that helped break down barriers

I had to give my off-field image some thought when approached by gay magazine Attitude to do a naked photoshoot. I was sceptical but Daniella thought it a good idea.

It was a very respectable magazine, she said, and the fact that only three sportsmen had done such a shoot previously — David Beckham, Freddie Ljungberg and Gareth Thomas — was an attraction. In the end, I thought: ‘Why not?’

The boyfriend of Attitude’s editor, a big cricket fan, was keen to get a cricketer on the front cover. Unsurprisingly, my breaking of the ice caused a bit of a stir. At the time there were no openly gay cricketers. 

I have never seen cricket as homophobic and believe that any gay player should have the courage to come out. It was ironic that, at the time, wicketkeeper Steven Davies had the same agent as me. It was a brave move for him to reveal his sexuality but when I did the shoot for the issue  I genuinely had no idea he was gay.

Cricket’s image needs to be inclusive, and I hope and believe that it is. For me it is the sport that unites a myriad of different backgrounds, races and beliefs. 

The magazine just wanted to show that cricketers could be comfortable with gay fans.

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