Stuart Law says Chris Gayle still has much to offer to West Indies
WELLINGTON: West Indies cricket coach Stuart Law has defended out-of-form batsman Chris Gayle, saying critics who suggest his international career may be over “write him off at your peril.”
The 38-year-old Gayle scored only 38 runs in four innings on the West Indies’ disastrous tour to New Zealand which ended on Wednesday with a 119-run loss in the third Twenty20 international.
The tourists lost the twomatch Test series 2-0, the threematch one-day series 3-0 and the Twenty20 2-0 with one match washed out.
Gayle looked largely disinterested, missing one of the one-day matches with a reported virus. He was out for a duck in his latest innings on Wednesday, throwing up his gloves to defend himself against a relatively innocuous shortpitched ball from Tim Southee.
Gayle came to New Zealand immediately after scoring 146 from 69 balls for the Rangpur Riders in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League, after which he proclaimed himself the best T20 batsman in world cricket.
His subsequent performances in New Zealand led to speculation he may soon retire from international cricket to continue his career in more lucrative professional leagues.
But Law said Gayle still has much to offer the West Indies.
“Right now it probably doesn’t look like it but there’s plenty of cricket left in the big man,” Law said. “He can destroy any attack, it doesn’t have to be a minnow.
“He’s central to the way this dressing room ticks and commands a lot of respect. He’s just got to start performing in the middle again. “He didn’t click in this series. He had a viral infection in the one-dayers and, while T20 is probably his best format, he didn’t get the starts he wanted. He’s played this game long enough. He knows how to do it. He was pretty good in England a few months ago.”
Law said the West Indies’ form in New Zealand was disappointing but was due in part to the absence of a number of senior players who were key contributors to the team’s win in the World T20 two years ago.
CHHATTISGARH RURAL ROAD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY VIKASH BHAWAN, CIVIL LINE, RAIPUR (C.G.) MUMBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was back at his ‘spiritual home’ Chennai Super Kings while Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained India captain Virat Kohli during the much- publicised yet predictable Indian Premier League retentions here this evening.
One of the notable names not to be retained is long-time Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir, who is now back in the auction pool with West Indians Sunil Narine and Andre Russell being the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise’s two picks.
Mumbai Indians had the league’s most successful captain Rohit Sharma back in their stable as most of the retentions happened on expected lines.
Current Australia skipper Steve Smith was Rajasthan Royals’ only pick while his deputy David Warner remains with Sunrisers Hyderabad along with pacer Bhuvnesh- war Kumar.
Kings XI Punjab had leftarm spinner Axar Patel in their ranks while South African Chris Morris, young guns Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are back with Delhi Daredevils.
The franchises that has gone for full three retentions are CSK, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and RCB.
CSK have retained their powerhouse performers Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina as their second and third choice respectively. AB de Villiers is RCB’S second retention while they have kept uncapped Sarfaraz Khan for Rs 3 crore while putting Chris Gayle back in the auction pool.
For Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are second and third retentions.
The purse that one spends for retention of three capped players is Rs 15 crore for Player 1, Rs 11 crore for Player 2 and Rs 7 crore for Player 3 while for two retentions — it’s Rs 12.5 crore for Player 1 and Rs 8.5 crore for player 2. However for Virat Kohli, the retention was Rs 17 crore, which incidentally is his league fee. A single player retention had a deduction of Rs 12.5 crore.
RETENTIONS: MI: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah. DD: Chris Morris, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. RCB: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarafaraz Khan. CSK: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja. RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Steven Smith. KINGS XI PUNJAB: Axar Patel. KKR: Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. SUNRISERS HYDERABAD: David Warner, Bhuvneshwar KUMAR.AGENCIES