Widely acclaimed as a Universal Boss, the Windies’ swashbuckling opening batsman Chris Gayle in his recent interview had made a massive statement by saying he has ‘created’ the Twenty20 cricket while adding it’s a short-paced tournament which he has had cherished during his career owing to his contribution in the format in the contemporary cricket, as he literally wielded a willow like an axe.
“Yes, it actually was made for me — or actually I should say I created T20 cricket,” Gayle was quoted as saying by Fox Sports
The left-handed batsman Gayle, who has been seen as a nightmare for the bowlers, is never shy of speaking from his mind, as he has literally revealed he has owned the game while having the huge influence particularly in the T20 competition.
“Being the creator of T20 cricket to let people, let players know there’s life in T20 cricket, let players know there’s things that can be done in T20 cricket from a batting point of view,” Gayle maintained.
The 37-year-old, Jamaica-born, all-rounder Gayle further revealed it while promoting the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as he expressed it is the T20 time while stating it’s about the shorter version of the game apart from Tests and One-day Internationals.
“Branded as the king of T20 cricket, forget about the Test matches, 50 overs. But we’re dealing with T20 cricket now,” Gayle added.
Interestingly, the celebrated cricketer is the part of the ongoing CPL outfit St Kitts and Nevis Patriots after leaving the home-based side Jamaica Tallawahs.
(Read Also – Paul Nixon Admits Jamaica Tallawahs Hinges On Fresh Legs In CPL To Defend Title)
As it would stay as a healthy question to debate whom should be credit for the format, we can’t further ignore the Gayle’s appetite for runs, as he has set a new high in the T20 competition to cross-past 10,000-run mark while participating for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Gayle, who has been a source of entertainment for many, is also known for his witty remarks during the pressers or the sideline interviews.
“I’m so sorry for the bowlers, they’re probably shaking in their pants right now,” Gayle concluded.
Gayle has registered 10,236 runs at an average of 40.14 in 293 innings, as his highest score in the competition is unbeaten 175 which came in the IPL.
In the overall Twenty20 domestic T20 competition, Gayle has registered 18 centuries and 61 half-centuries in 298 matches. Handy with his off-spin bowling, Gayle has bagged 77 wickets in 125 innings of the professional league.
For the national team, Gayle played 51 T20Is in which he has scored 1,537 runs at an average of 34.93 and bagged 17 wickets.