Can Gayle draw a crowd?
If anyone can get the fans to the grounds, it is the ‘Universal Boss’
THE 2019 Mzansi Super League is likely to be Chris Gayle’s last T20 tournament in South Africa and Cricket SA must hope that that will serve as some incentive for people to get to the stadiums and watch their franchise competition.
By mid-morning yesterday less than 1 000 tickets had been sold for the 2019 tournament opener at the Wanderers between Gayle’s Jozi Stars team and the Cape Town Blitz.
Last year, those two teams, battled it out in the final of the inaugural tournament, with the Stars emerging victorious. They have retained many of the same players (seven) from the squad that won last year, added Temba Bavuma, who was at the Durban Heat franchise in 2018, made him captain, and elevated Jamaican Donavon Miller from assistant coach to head coach, with Enoch Nkwe unavailable due to being seconded by Cricket SA to be the interim Team Director of the Proteas.
However, as is the case for many
T20 tournaments around the world, it is Gayle who garners much of the attention. The self-acclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ might conduct something of a farewell tour over the next few months in the various T20 competitions, to which he is signed up.
“I’m 40 now, I still have a lot of cricket to play, but I’m looking from a life point of view; I’m starting a family, I’m going to venture into new things as well. Cricket has played a big part in my life, and I’m very thankful for that.
“But you also need to know when to move on and start a new journey, which I’m looking forward to. It’s going to be exciting, away from cricket as well,” said Gayle.
He made it sound as if that new journey would not include much cricket.
“I want to have something like a normal life, not travel so much.” he remarked.
“It wasn’t meant to be for me to actually be here, but I volunteered to be here, because I had such a great time last year. I didn’t actually get the performance from a personal point of view and I want to come here and finish off on a high here in South Africa.”
As is the case for many of the superstars in the MSL, both local and international players, it is the swapping of information with younger players that provides great value. “It’s good to be able to share my experience with them”.
“They don’t need to utilise me, but I’ll go to them, and share my experience. You can never tell when they will get the opportunity to be up close and personal with Chris Gayle again. I watch in the nets as well, if I see anything, I point it out to them, from a senior player’s point of view. If they want to ask any questions, interact, anytime, my door is always open.”
Today’s match starts at 5.30pm. Tickets for the match are available trough ticketpro.co.za or at the gate, and range from R25 to R150.
SQUADS
JOZI STARS: Kagiso Rabada, Chris Gayle, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Daniel Christian, Temba Bavuma (capt), Duanne Olivier, Simon Harmer, Ryan Rickelton, Aaron Phangiso, Lizaad Williams, Sinethemba Qeshile, Nono Pongolo, Eathan Bosch, Delano Potgieter
CAPE TOWN BLITZ: Quinton de Kock (capt), Wahab Riaz, Liam Livingstone, Dale Steyn, Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Janneman Malan, George Linde, David Bedingham, Vernon Philander, Marques Ackerman, Gregory Mahlokwana, Aviwe Mgijima, Moeen Ali