Mr Cool having a blast in SA, on and off the pitch
BIG-hitting Chris Gayle is not only in South Africa to collect boundaries on the pitch.
Dancing, eating chicken and entertaining his fans are high up on his priority list while he plies his trade for the Highveld Lions in the domestic Ram Slam Twenty20 competition.
Gayle Force, Gayle Storm, Master Storm, Mr Cool — whichever nickname you want to attach to him — is no doubt a larger-than-life individual. He is a cult figure.
Last Sunday he made his first appearance in the domestic T20 competition after injury sidelined him from turning out for the Dolphins two seasons ago. His status as one of the world’s most-loved sportsmen was confirmed when he arrived at Wanderers Stadium for the triple-header that signalled the start of the competition.
“The reception is fantastic,” Gayle said.
“When I drove in, they (fans) surrounded the entire car. I had to have a security escort. The kids were around the car, that’s always good to see. Having fans look up to you — that drives me even more to entertain them. They pay money to come and be entertained.”
Despite all the attention and fame, the 35-year-old Gayle reckons he is just an ordinary guy.
He is well-known for his dance moves on the field and more so for his extremely calm demeanour which earned him the nickname “Mr Cool”.
“Nothing hurries him, nothing fazes him and he never complains,” a Lions employee said of the talented star.
Gayle revealed that in the two weeks he has been here he has already picked up a few dance moves he will be showing off, and he has taken a liking to some local foods.
“I’m learning the dancing already. That’s about the only thing I’ve picked up so far. I’ve picked up a few moves. I’m loving it,” he said.
“I had some [local] ribs and Nando’s. I love my Nando’s.
Having fans look up to you — that drives me even more to entertain them. They pay money to be entertained
They will see my face on a regular basis. Nando’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
One man who knows Gayle well is fellow West Indian Darren Sammy, who is playing for the Titans.
“He’s a massive unit. He enjoys life. He’s one of the funniest guys in the dressing room,” Sammy said of his national teammate Gayle.
“He’s one of the leaders, an icon in any team. Everywhere he goes to play, he becomes a big figure… When he speaks most of the guys, especially the young ones, listen because his words are important.”
In their opening match against the Dolphins, Gayle put on an 89-run opening partnership with Jean Symes to set up a six-wicket win.
“It was a bit different batting with someone like Gayle. He doesn’t really say much, just ‘keep batting, mon’. So it was definitely fun to watch from the other end,” Symes said.
The colossal figure has also learnt something else from his new team.
“I was introduced to something new. For the first time in my career, after a win we had a fines meeting. I was the first one to drink a beer. I mean, can you believe that I got fined for my [good] performance? It was really funny. It was good, I had a good laugh. Those things mean a lot to me, I’m really enjoying it.”