Chris Gayle has a problem.
There is no doubt about that. I am not an expert who can categorise the issue but it doesn’t take a qualified professional to know that his actions do not fall within the parameters of socially acceptable behaviour.
Be it his flirtatious interaction with an Australian TV presenter during the Big Bash T20 tournament or the latest interview with The Times, Gayle has made it a habit of outraging the senses with crass remarks.
There is probably no point in talking to Gayle about the virtues of behaving like a gentleman or treating women with respect because no one knows if he is actually serious about what he has said or if he thinks all of it is one big joke.
What can be stated, however, is that Gayle is losing a lot of respect he had accumulated over the years with his competitive outlook, easygoing nature and incredible batting prowess.
He has always been adored by fans and players across the world.
Crowds throng the stadiums to watch Gayle send the ball sailing into the stands and occasionally, lighten the mood with his cheerful demeanour.
But now when we talk about Gayle, ‘fun’ is not the first thing that comes to mind. Because it ain’t funny anymore.
There was a time when Gayle had the sympathy of the cricketing world due to his congenital heart condition that forced him to abort many innings mid-way. Irregular heartbeats where common during the early part of Gayle’s career.
Heart surgery in 2005 gave him a fresh lease of life and Gayle hasn’t looked back since. He became the biggest draw in the shortest format of the game and dazzled fans in various T20 leagues with his immense talent.
But that seems like another era.
What we have now is a batsman not in the best of form, who has serious fitness issues and plays just one format of the game.
Gayle is 36 and has become a specialist T20 batsman who travels from one league to the other, wherever that may be.
But this is not the same Gayle of 2010. The shots are a bit more laboured, the running even more lethargic and the aura diminished.
Following his brilliant century during the World T20 in India, Gayle had eight straight single digit scores in T20 matches.
He was even benched by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gayle did return to the playing XI and deliver in consecutive innings but you get a feeling the magic is waning.
Big Bash organisers are already under pressure to set an example and not have Gayle in their league. And if he continues to display such irresponsible, even hurtful, behavior then it could hit him where it hurts the most – T20 contracts.
All it takes is one league to take action and Gayle’s T20 juggernaut could derail quickly.
When you are a T20 journeyman, fitness and reputation mean everything. Gayle is already faltering on one count and making a mockery of the second.
And if he doesn’t get his act together, the ‘Universe Boss’ will find the world a very lonely place.
