AGENCIES
LONDON
West Indies' swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle has sparked yet another sexism row after making lewd comments to a female sports journalist during an interview.
The West Indies star earlier was fined $10,000 by Australia Twenty20 Big Bash team Melbourne Renegades in January after an infamous "Don't blush, baby" live TV interview with Channel Ten reporter Mel McLaughlin after asking her out for a drink.
The 36-year-old spoke to Charlotte Edwardes in an article published by the Times magazine. He is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. At one point in the interview Gayle - who recently celebrated the arrival of a baby girl called Blush with his partner Tash - told Edwardes that he has "a very, very big bat, the biggest in the wooooorld". He then added, "You think you could lift it? You'd need two hands," reports The Daily Mail.
According to the article, Gayle asked Edwardes how many black men she has "had" and wants to know if she has ever had a threesome. "I bet you have. Tell me," he is reported to have said. Edwardes also alleged the Jamaican made comments about whether she dyes her hair, while lowering his eyes downwards suggestively.
Gayle also answered questions on sex, female equality and homophobia during the interaction. "Women should please their man. When he comes home, food is on the table. Serious. You ask your husband what he likes and then you make it," he said. But he also claimed, "Women should have equality and they do have equality. They have more than equality. Women can do what they want. Jamaican women are very vocal. They will let you know what time is it, for sure."
Edwardes also broached the topic of homophobia with the West Indies star, who responded by stating that people should be able to be who they want to be. "The culture I grew up in, gays were negative. But people can do whatever they want. You can't tell someone how to live their life. It's a free world," he was reported as saying.
Back in January, Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry labelled the on-air incident with McLaughlin as "completely inappropriate and disrespectful".
