Captain of the West Indies' Test side from 2007 to 2010, during which time he recorded two triple-centuries. He set a number of records during his career, once recording the highest individual T20 score (175 not out) in a match.
He played with Kingston's renowned Lucas Cricket Club, which he said saved him from a life on the streets.
Because of an endorsement deal with a rival of the team's sponsor, he and a number of other players were cut from an international match against South Africa in 2005. He recorded centuries in ODI, Test, and T20I play.
His father is Dudley Gayle and he has a brother named Vanclive Parris. He had a daughter with partner Natasha Berridge in 2016.
He and Kumar Sangakkara played together on the Jamaica Tallawahs of the Caribbean Premier League.
