Chris Gayle annoys Aussies again with sexist tweet

Chris Gayle, the 37-year-old West Indies sledgehammer batsman, hasn’t really endeared himself to the Australians after posting a raunchy video on a social networking site and asking them to “lighten the...

His ejection from the Australian Big Bash League (BBL) doesn’t seem to have gone down well with West Indies’ explosive batsman Chris Gayle.

In this photo posted on Chris Gayle's Instagram account on May 19, the Caribbean smokes and drinks as he takes a break from a tight cricketing schedule.(Instagram)

Chris Gayle, who was at the centre of a controversy a year ago after his ‘sexist’ “Don’t blush baby” comment aimed at Channel 10 host Mel McLaughlin, again courted controversy on Wednesday by posting a coarse video on Instagram and asking the Australians to “lighten the phuck up”.

The 37-year-old Chris Gayle is not part of this edition of the BBL and the reason for this, many say, is on account of the flirtatious remarks aimed at the Channel 10 host.

Though the-then Melbourne Renegades player was fined Aus $10,000 and censured, there were apparently no takers for him in the eight-team BBL this season, despite his appealing style of batting.

BBL manager Anthony Everard was asked whether the West Indian had been banned from playing in the league and he replied in the negative, but said “there is a process for us where clubs need to seek CA (Cricket Australia) approval for overseas players, and nothing came across our desk.”

The franchises were probably bitter after the experience of Melbourne Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry, who had to tender an apology to McLaughlin.

In his statement, Coventry had said, “Chris’s (Gayle) comments were completely inappropriate and disrespectful…There wasn’t anything at all meant to be disrespectful or offensive to Mel (McLaughlin) and if she felt that way I’m really sorry for that….There wasn’t any harm meant in that particular way to any particular person like that. It was a simple joke, the game was going on. Entertainment, things get out of proportion but these things do happen.”

However Gayle’s raunchy video on a social networking site apparently shot during a street festival shows the West Indian making “suggestive poses and simulates sex acts with a woman, understood to be his partner Natasha Berridge,” reports Guardian News Service.

His accompanying tweet, “4th jan officially 1 year anniversary #DontBlushBaby - Australia lighten the phuck up!!!” is not going to win many Australian hearts.

Gayle seems to have shut the BBL door on him and after his January 4 tweet, it’s unlikely he will find any more league suitors Down Under.