Hit Gayle’s big balls for six

Aggressive West Indies left-handed slogger and occasionally deadly off-spinner Chris Gayle is cricket's equivalent of a crack military sniper. He's slain dozens of records and supplanted his own.

He wields a mighty willow on the pitch. He clearly wants us to think he wields a mightier willy off the pitch. Both of the master blaster's bats might as well be made of steel, by all accounts. Don't blush, baby.

He's a giant of a man, even when horizontal. Six foot, two inches. Y'know what I'm sayin'.

He's a big boy. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. You know what we girls say about West Indian cricketers. Big stick, big ****.

He self-consciously wears his box as if it were a smoking codpiece on the outside of his gear and, by the way he publicly treats women, he thinks we do, too.

For years, Gayle has been busily whittling away, lovingly carving a specific image of himself and using social media almost as well as he uses his professional instrument. A heavy hitter with an even heavier hit-on.

In all of this, he is sometimes enabled by obliging promotional collaborations with the likes of betting agency Ladbrokes and their pathetic promo video of Gayle allegedly in the Renegades Big Bash League changing room ahead of the match at Blundstone Oval with the Hobart Hurricanes - the day before his now viral notorious on-air pass at McLaughlin.

I ain't never seen a changing room like this. It got da kingsize b, da babes, dey strokin da world boss all over his body and den Chris comes on doin a rap ... .

Nice one, Ladbrokes. Lovin' the way you treat us. Lovin' the way you insult us - and other cricketers - and their partners. It's all about the money, innit? You bet.

What the hell is Cricket Australia doing about this puerile advertisement? And where are the players' agents and representatives? Are you all happy that your dressing rooms are being portrayed by Ladbrokes as call-girl parlours?

Gayle sends out endless Instagram/social media photos of himself with endless babes. He sends out tweets suggesting that he's going to have sex.

Now it's the after party after party. #Sex But that's none of your business. Over and out! Bye.

-- Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) August 4, 2014

He smokes big fat cigars that make Joe Hockey's look like a cigarillo. Gayle may well be God's gift to cricket, but he think's he's God's gift to women. Some women obviously agree with him.

Where I'm from they call me, Chris-t-mas. Ho! Ho! Hoo! https://t.co/7BekojhX8F

-- Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) December 22, 2015

He's a notorious sleaze, as Network Ten's Mel McLaughlin, other female journalists and women can attest. There are credible accounts of his creepiness.

This is not a discussion about flirting and displays of affection, or seduction, or finding mutual love and lust in the workplace, and - heaven forbid - such joys and delights be driven underground and considered taboo.

Gayle's conduct crosses the line. He thinks he can get away with it. And, for the most part, he does.

Former newspaper editor and CNN talk show presenter Piers Morgan thinks there was nothing wrong with Gayle hitting on McLaughlin. Probably millions of people agree with him. But that doesn't make it okay.

I'm absolutely outraged that everyone's so absolutely outraged by @henrygayle being a bit cheeky to a female TV reporter. #BBL05

-- Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 4, 2016

If he thinks like this, imagine how difficult it must have been for journalists, when Morgan was editor, to speak with him about discrimination/harassment of any kind.

Stop doing this to your sisters, Gayle. Show some respect. Earn some respect.

I don't want to hear about the laughable US$7,000 fine that Melbourne Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry slapped on Gayle.

The all-rounder is a multimillionaire. He ought to have been suspended.

The 'fine' is going to be donated to the McGrath Foundation -- a slick PR move, knowing that it tugs on our heart-strings. He should 'donate' another US$7,000 to a charity of Mel McLaughlin's choosing.

- Tess Lawrence is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com