5 reasons why the Big Bash League will miss Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is one of the most lethal batsman in the world and the first man ever to score a T20 century. He scored 252 runs in just 7 games at an average of 42 and at an impressive strike rate of 150 for the BBL franchise Sydney Thunder in the 2011-12 season of the Big Bash League.
He smashed 22 sixes that season and scored an astounding century off just 54 balls in an innings consisting of 11 sixes.
Though he struggled in the 2012-13 season, he bounced back with 204 runs in just 7 games at an average of 29.14 in the 5th season of the BBL.
His twelve ball 50, consisting of 7 sixes and 2 fours against the Adelaide Strikers in the last group stage game of the 2015/16 BBL season equalled Yuvraj Singh’s fastest fifty record in a T20 game, which was considered insurmountable by fans and experts alike.
His achievements in India are no less astonishing. Over three thousand four hundred runs in just 92 Indian Premier League games at an astounding strike rate of 153.36 is no mean feat.
On April 23, 2013, he broke the record for the highest individual score in a T20 game after smashing 175 against a hapless Pune Warriors team. Several other records were broken during this match which are listed below:
#1 Fastest hundred in T20’s - 30 Balls
#2 Highest team score in T20’s - 263 for 5
#3 Most Sixes hit in an innings - 17 by Gayle, 21 by RCB.
He is the only batsman in IPL history to have scored 5 centuries. Meanwhile, his performances with the ball have been quite effective and economical. 16 wickets in 82 matches at an economy rate of 8.11 is an indication that he is no mug with the ball in his hand.
The Jamaica-born batsman has enjoyed a strained relationship with the WICB (West Indies Cricket Board) which allowed him an opportunity to be a part of several T20 leagues around the world.
Nicknamed "World Boss", Chris Gayle is an entertainer on and off the field. However, some of his actions have earned him the wrath of the orthodox cricketing jury in the past. In the 2015/16 Big Bash League, his comments on sports presenter Mel Mclaughlin were condemned by Anthony Everard, the head of BBL and Cricket Australia with the franchise affirming their wish to not re-sign the swashbuckling opener.
Chris Gayle declared his wish to opt out of the competition in the upcoming season opting to spend time with his family instead.
Let us take a look at the 5 main reasons why the league will miss him:
#1 Large Scale Entertainment:
Chris Gayle is one of the biggest entertainers in world cricket. His-no-holds-barred attitude leaves the bowlers in tears as their economy rates go for a toss.
Even rival team fans cannot help but appreciate the athleticism of the tall left-hander. His long hair and strength further add to his charisma, drawing comparisons to Samson, the famous Jewish legend. Stadiums fill up and audiences around the world switch on their television sets whenever Chris Gayle walks out to bat.
His performance in the T20 leagues across the globe has been sensational, which makes signing him up a no-brainer. His fitness even at the age of 35 when cricketers look to retire and enjoy a quiet life off the field earned him praise from RCB captain Virat Kohli who himself is one of the fittest cricketers out there.
The league and mainly the Aussie cricketing fans will miss out on large-scale cricketing entertainment which the tall burly Jamaican ensures with his presence.