Chris Gayle launches extraordinary spray

Mel McLaughlin and Chris Gayle.

Chris Gayle hasn't learned a thing.

Less than a month since he infamously asked an English reporter if she had ever had a threesome and boasted about his "very, very big bat", Gayle has incredibly directed another offensive comment towards Australian sports presenter Mel McLaughlin.

Gayle was sensationally fined $10,000 by the Melbourne Renegades in January for his controversial interview with the former Channel 10 sports presenter during a Big Bash match between the Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes.

Gayle asked the now Channel 7 reporter to "have a drink later" during a live broadcast before telling a clearly uncomfortable McLaughlin, "Don't blush, baby."

The 36-year-old opening batsman has been heavily criticised for his views towards women and his latest comments suggest the Twenty20 mercenary has learned nothing from his string of sexism scandals.

In an interview with The Guardian promoting his new book Six Machine: I Don't Like Cricket... I Love It, Gayle again refused to concede his behaviour towards McLaughlin was offensive, despite previously offering an apology of sorts to the journalist.

The man who refers to himself as the "universe boss" somehow believes McLaughlin came off looking worse than he did throughout the entire scandal.

"She got more bad press than me," Gayle said.
"The public gave her the bad press. She was the one who looked bad - not me."

He also claimed McLaughlin should have anticipated he would attempt to flirt with her during a live interview.

He still doesn't understand why his behaviour crossed the line.

"They knew the person they are interviewing," he said.

"They knew the person is like that. So it wasn't any surprise to anyone. Not even the interviewer, Mel. She knew exactly how the West Indians are.

"It was just a joke. The players are laughing. They know I like to clown around. She knew it as well. She was laughing before the interview and saying: 'Guys, stop it, stop laughing.'

But you're a woman in an environment with men. You're good-looking. What do you expect? People are going to make jokes.

"I've seen people kiss the same Mel on live television. There are double standards. All the commentary guys found it amusing - but then someone whispered in their ears and everything was blown out of proportion.

"If she was upset she would've said it. At no stage did she say she felt offended by me. Then they wanted an apology and she came on air and said: 'He's apologised - so let it go everybody.' You could tell she had been forced to say those things. Trust me."

Gayle also said a similar episode to his interview with McLaughlin could happen again. Seriously.

A similar episode did actually happen last month when he asked journalist Charlotte Edwardes from The Times how many black men she'd "had".

Again, Gayle is the one disappointed with how the interview was reported. He has not ruled out taking legal action against the newspaper.

"In the interview's first line she says Mel didn't get the chance to have a drink with Chris Gayle - but she did," Gayle said.

"That was her agenda. She put these things out to make me look like the bad one. She got the attention but I'm going to speak to my legal team."

Gayle has been sparking controversies in nearly all of his recent interviews.

The master-blaster also criticised cricket greats, including Australian Test opener Chris Rogers, Australian Test captain Ian Chappell and England allrounder Andrew Flintoff, in his new book after the trio were among the group of cricket personalities to condemn Gayle's behaviour towards McLaughlin during the infamous Big Bash interview.