The self-proclaimed ‘Universe boss’, Chris Gayle, has now declared himself as the “best off-spinner” of all time on Wednesday, ahead of the new 60-ball format tournament of 6ixty.
Gayle will be 43 next month, however, has not announced his retirement from any format of the game. While his future in the maroons is uncertain at the moment, his presence in different leagues around the globe has always been a certainty and he is also the face of Cricket West Indies-launched 6ixty.
In a light-hearted conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Gayle talked about his excitement for the new tournament, his batting technique, and his bowling.
Gayle said that he is as excited to return to the field, as a kid would be. “I’m really excited to be back in the field. I missed it. I’m like a kid again, looking forward to the first game… For my debut.”
The southpaw said that his fitness will also not be a concern and he will only have to do a little bit of preparation. I’ll have to get back in shape. I’m still in shape but just a little prep (preparation) here and there to get in that mindset of playing cricket.”
Gayle also said that the tournament is a very short format and hence is all about hitting sixes. “That’s what 6ixty is all about.
The most hilarious moment in the interview was when he was quizzed if he will be seen bowling in the tournament.”You know what? My bowling is natural. Definitely, I have to bowl. I’m the greatest off-spinner of all time. Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) won’t contest that for sure. I have the best economy, not even Sunil Narine can come close to that,” Gayle joked.
While Gayle has the highest runs in T20s – 14,562 which is the highest by quite a distance, he has 83 wickets in T20s so far.
Talking about the bowlers, Gayle said that it will be interesting if the pitches are good, because the bowlers are very innovative.
“Bowlers nowadays are creative. They’ve got a lot of variations and they make it challenging for the batters. Of course, the batting part is more dominant in shorter forms but the bowlers have a lot of skills to make it uncomfortable for the batter. It’s gonna be interesting from the batters’ point of view. Saint Kitts is a small ground, I’m expecting good pitches. It’s gonna be exciting, there’s gonna be a lot of chaos. It’ll be up to us how we make it even more interesting for the fans out there.”
The 6ixty starts on 25 August, Thursday, with six teams contesting. Each team will play three other teams before the top four on the points table are selected for the knock-outs.
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