Chris Gayle opens up about life-changing heart surgery in his new autobiography
West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle might come across as a person who loves to party all the time and his well-publicised lifestyle does prove those claims to be more or less true, but as revealed in the swashbuckling batsman’s new autobiography, titled ‘Six Machine’ the 36-year-old said that it was the heart surgery he had to undergo while on tour to Australia in 2005 that taught him to enjoy life to the fullest.
Gayle was forced to retire hurt while batting in the second match of West Indies’ 3-match Test series against the hosts at Hobart after he felt an irregular heartbeat after which he was advised a minor heart surgery by the doctors.
"It's a thing that's been happening over the years. It’s an irregular heartbeat and it tends to race a bit harder than normal, but it's nothing to worry about," the Jamaican had said at the time. "This is not the first time, it was just a distraction to my batting, so I couldn't continue at the time. I was feeling a bit dizzy.”
Gayle missed the third and final Test of the series but there have been no further complications and the left-handed big-hitter has gone on to establish himself as one of the biggest entertainers in modern day cricket, not just on the field, but off it as well. While his antics might have landed him in trouble quite a few times, not many can claim to have such a huge fan following as the burly Jamaican.
Speaking at the book launch ceremony of his autobiography performed in Gurgaon, with another swashbuckling cricketer in Virender Sehwag in attendance, Gayle revealed that he did not disclose the exact nature of his diagnosis back in 2005 even to his parents.
“Nobody knows that I was diagnosed with a hole in my heart in Australia, not even my parents. I was forced to undergo a surgery and I only informed my parents after the procedure,” Gayle said on Friday. “Back then, I realised the importance of life. It was a life-changing moment for me. Thereafter I decided to enjoy my life to the fullest and I am still doing so.”
While he still plans to live life king-size, Gayle, who celebrated the birth of his baby girl 'Blush' in April, said that he felt immensely proud but also admitted that it would be a challenging role to fulfill.
“It’s definitely a new challenge to be a family man but I now can proudly say that I am a father of a beautiful daughter. It’s a different feeling altogether,” he said.