Chris Gayle clarifies Mel McLaughlin “Don’t blush, baby” incident as a “joke”

Chris Gayle's autobiography 'Six Machine' could create ripples in the cricketing world as he hits out at critics like Andrew Flintoff and Ian Chappell, and clarifies the controversial Mel McLaughin episode.

Chris Gayle‘s autobiography ‘Six Machine’ could create ripples in the cricketing world as he hits out at critics like Andrew Flintoff and Ian Chappell, and clarifies the controversial Mel McLauglhin episode.

Gayle, 36, came under fire for asking Australian presenter McLaughlin out on a date in a live television interview during a Big Bash Twenty20 game in January. He had then said, “I wanted to see your eyes for the first time, hopefully we can win this game and then we can have a drink after as well.” He then added, “Don’t blush, baby.”  Read: Chris Gayle draws criticism on Twitter for making advances at reporter during interview

In an extract from his autobiography, published in The Times, Gayle writes, “I meant it as a joke. I meant it as a little fun.  I didn’t mean to be disrespectful and I didn’t mean it to be taken serious.”

“Channel 10’s commentary team could be heard laughing in the background… and a throwaway comment in a fun format escalates and blows up and within hours it has turned into a major incident.”

Flintoff, who had then responded on Twitter mentioned Gayle made himself look a “bit of a chop.” Giving it back to Flintoff, Gayle wrote, “The only chop Freddie (Flintoff) knows is when he used to bowl short to me and I would chop him past backward point for four.” For Chappell, he said: “Ian Chappell, calling for me to banned worldwide, a man who was once convicted of unlawful assault in the West Indies for punching a cricket official.”

Recently, Gayle stirred another controversy when recently an interview of his went on the lines of sexism, with him asking the interviewer if she had involved herself in a threesome.