Gayle is what T20 planet craves for, an entertainer
look (sometimes complain) a the thickness of his bat but for me the truth lies in the simplicity o the Jamaican’s gameplan.
For starters, he operates in the V, most of his strokes are a prod uct of a harmonious hand-eye marriage and a bat coming down from the Heavens in a beautifu arc. Then comes the most vita USP of Gayle Inc. — brute power
Gayle also knows and acknowledges what he can’t do Those drives, the hook shots or the delicate dabs are never on Gayle’s menu. So, he is not your 360 degrees batsman but he is what he is. I have often said Rahu Dravid is the most evolved crick eter I have seen. Perhaps Gayle is the only one I know who has con solidated most on his strengths.
Closer home, another batsman who has cast himself into a new mould is Yusuf Pathan. Back dur ing the 2007 T20 World Cup he go off the blocks as a big-hitting sen sation. I am glad that Yusuf has come out of the compulsive hit ting mode. In 2015 IPL he aver aged 44.57 and 72.2 in the next sea son. Against Delhi, it was his sen sible batting that bailed us out Yusuf says our former bowling coach Wasim Akram had a role to play in his transforma tion. It is tha phase of the tourna men when Yusuf can elevate his standing to nex level. I spoke to him about this and he said,
Yes, we have been trying a few combi nations at the top. My fancy for a hitting option a the top tells me that I am reeling under Gayle-effect!