Claim: West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle was seen enjoying the snow in Kumrat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fact: The image is doctored; it was made using a photo which originally shows Gayle in New York.
On 11 January 2025, a post on Facebook claimed that West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle was spotted in Kumrat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The post displayed a picture of Gayle standing in a snow-covered area. He is at the front of the frame, enjoying snowfall, with another man watching him in the background. The caption, originally in Urdu, is shown below:
“ویسٹ انڈیز کے مایہ ناز سابقہ بیٹسمین کریس گیل کمراٹ ویلی میں برف سے مزے لے رہے ہیں ۔.”
According to Google Translate, this reads as follows in English:
“Former West Indies batsman Chris Gayle enjoying the snow in Kamrat Valley.”
This post comes during the current West Indies’ tour of Pakistan, the first in more than 18 years. After landing in Islamabad on 6 January 2025, the West Indies team played a three-day practice match, followed by the first Test match on 17 January. The last time the two teams faced off in the Test format was during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies in 2021, which resulted in a series draw.
Fact or Fiction?
Seeing that this image showed Gayle outside his home country of Jamaica, we decided to check if it was on any of Gayle’s personal social media accounts. On both his Facebook and Instagram accounts, we found a photo of him dated 6 and 7 January 2025, respectively, shown below:
Source: Facebook
Specifically, the placement of snowflakes in the air and Gayle’s stance and attire are identical to the picture of him in the claim. A comparison of both pictures is shown below, with their similarities highlighted in green:
Apart from the snowflakes around Gayle in both pictures, it is evident that his facial expression, stance with both arms raised, and his attire are identical as well.
Moreover, the cricketer’s Instagram account features a video of him in the same attire and place where he says that he is in Stamford, New York. This was also corroborated by the posts on sports news agency Sports Trumpet’s YouTube and Instagram accounts.
Based on the similarities between both photos, Soch Fact Check concludes that the photo in the claim is doctored and does not show Chris Gayle in Kumrat valley.
Virality
The claim on Facebook has amassed 21 K reactions.
The photo was shared here and here with the claim that it shows Gayle in Doodhpathri, Jammu and Kashmir.
The photo was shared here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, with the claim that it shows Gayle in Kalaam, Swat.
On X, the photo was shared here, with the claim that it shows Gayle in Kumrat Valley.
It was shared here and here with the claim that it shows Gayle at Doodhpathri, Jammu and Kashmir.
On Instagram, it was shared here with the claim that it shows Gayle at Doodhpathri, Jammu and Kashmir.
Conclusion: The image showing Chris Gayle in Kumrat valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is doctored. It was created using a recent picture of him in New York.
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Background image in cover photo: ZAP Cricket
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