GAYLE FORCE
Controversial cricketer may join Stags party
They nearly nabbed Chris Gayle five years ago, now the Central Stags could try again this summer if they can secure financial backing.
Central Stags chief executive Pete de Wet confirmed their star Twenty20 import Mahela Jayawardene wouldn’t return as he scales back his cricket playing commitments, opening the way for them to chase a big name.
That is entirely dependent on securing generous sponsorship, and Gayle’s availability after the West Indies’ tour of New Zealand which ends on January 3. Assuming the T20 star, selfnamed ‘World Boss’, isn’t signed by an Australian Big Bash franchise, the Stags’ final four regular season matches from January 6-14 including two at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth would potentially fit.
‘‘If he’s available we could potentially look at him [Gayle]. For us the first step is to find funding partners to assist us, in the same way that NMIT [Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology] were assisting us with Mahela,’’ de Wet said.
‘‘We want it to be a high profile person who can deliver for us on the field and off the field in the changing room and also needs to add to the flavour of the tournament. It needs to be a really big name, the likes of a Mahela or a Chris Gayle or a Kevin Pietersen.’’
Gayle could command match fees of between $15,000 and $20,000, but it was enough to appeal to a potential backer in January 2013. Stags chief executive at the time, Hugh Henderson, said they were ‘‘very close’’ to snaring Gayle for two T20 matches in New Plymouth after the Big Bash, but the deal fell through.
Gayle is a controversial figure and was derided in Australia for his infamous ‘‘don’t blush baby’’ television interview with broadcaster Mel McLaughlin, and Big Bash franchises have shown little interest in him since. He is currently taking a defamation case against Fairfax Media in Sydney.
Still, there’s little doubt Gayle’s hitting power and star quality would draw crowds in the Super Smash which starts on December 13. It struggles to attract the big names, clashing with both the Big Bash and the Black Caps home internationals over the holiday period.