The controversial personality in and out of the field Chris Gayle in his autobiography “Six Machine” has written that during his innings of 317, the former West Indies captain Brian Lara looked quite worried and kept a sharp on the scorecard, regularly checking the scoreboard. Why? To keep an eye on the score of the big man Gayle who was slowly-slowly moving towards the record of Lara.
“Some players do care about records. When Brian Lara was out for four in that match, he sat in the dressing- room and read a book. Occasionally he would go out onto the balcony and check the scoreboard, then go back inside. Sarwan was watching him because he was wondering. And every time Brian came out to see my score getting closer to his record, he looked more and more worried,”
“When I came in for lunch and tea he didn’t say anything to me. No advice, no ‘Keep it going,’ no ‘Do it for the team.’ When I went back out he would go back to that slow shuttle: read inside on his own for a bit, come out to check my score, look worried.” writes Gayle in his book.
Gayle played a fabulous innings of 317 against South Africa in 2005 and during the innings, Lara was worried and looked quite tensed.
“Maybe they misinterpret things. Maybe it’s the way I bat. I play a lot of shots, and sometimes I get out. Maybe they think I don’t care. Maybe that’s how it looks on television or through the pages of an old coaching manual. I play my shots and I get out. I get out on 40 so they say I don’t care as much as the man who gets out on five. Or he says it maybe because of jealousy. I am the Six Machine. Twice as many T20 sixes as the next man, the highest score, the highest average, the most runs. More international one-day centuries than Brian Lara, more Test matches than Ian Botham, more Test catches than Clive Lloyd. I enjoy every day, and I make people happy.”
“As a cricketer, my energy comes from being in the middle. If I can’t bat, then give me the ball.” writes Gayle answering on his attitude towards the game.
Writing on his controversies due to his comments on women he writes “You’ll always have women out there who’ll want to touch you, want to throw themselves at you. That’s something you have to handle out there. You get honey traps in cricket too. As part of the game’s regulations, we have to attend anti-corruption lessons. They let us be aware that there are stings on the prettiest flowers. Not everything good be great, okay?”
“A woman loves a compliment. They love to hear how good they look. I learned that early. Just spill it out. You see some men thinking exactly as men. It’s not, ‘You want a car, baby?’ Simple little things. Think as a woman. Counsel them. Pay attention to them, and you’re good to go. In my later days, if a girl throws herself at me, I’m not interested. Too easy, no fun. When you’re young, anything comes, you go. You have so much energy. It’s all new. It’s all an adventure. Enjoyment everywhere you look,”
Gayle found himself at the centre of controversy after his comments on Australian women journalist during BBL and his comments were criticised by his fellow teammates too. In his book, he has given a reply to all controversies and which have surrounded him till now in his career.