"With the girls I'm good – serious good": Chris Gayle

Always in the news, not always for the right reasons, Chris Gayle has minced no words in his book, which is co-authored by Tom Fordyce. Excerpts:

How he describes himself:

"I am the Six Machine. Twice as many T20 sixes as the next man, the highest score, the highest average, the most runs. More international one-day centuries than Brian Lara, more Test matches than Ian Botham, more Test catches than Clive Lloyd. I enjoy every day, and I make people happy."

What gets him going:

"As a cricketer my energy comes from being in the middle. If I can't bat, then give me the ball."

On women:

"You'll always have women out there who'll want to touch you, want to throw themselves at you. That's something you have to handle out there. You get honey traps in cricket too. As part of the game's regulations we have to attend anti-corruption lessons. They let us be aware that there are stings on the prettiest flowers. Not everything good be great, okay?"

Why girls are attracted to him:

"A woman loves a compliment. They love to hear how good they look. I learned that early. Just spill it out. You see some men thinking exactly as men. It's not, 'You want a car, baby?' Simple little things. Think as a woman. Counsel them. Pay attention to them, and you're good to go. In my later days, if a girl throws herself at me, I'm not interested. Too easy, no fun. When you're young, anything comes, you go. You have so much energy. It's all new. It's all an adventure. Enjoyment everywhere you look."

On Brian Lara:

"Some players do care about records. When Brian Lara was out for four in that match, he sat in the dressing-room and read a book. Occasionally he would go out onto the balcony and check the scoreboard, then go back inside. (Ramnaresh) Sarwan was watching him, because he was wondering. And every time Brian came out to see my score getting closer to his record, he looked more and more worried."

On why people think he is arrogant:

"Maybe they misinterpret things. Maybe it's the way I bat. I play a lot of shots, and sometimes I get out. Maybe they think I don't care...maybe it's the women. Girls love me. I love the girls. I'm a hot boy. Arrogant? Nah. This is how we do it in Jamaica, up front and honest. No pretending or stalling. And with the girls I'm good – serious good."