Beware of Gayle: Brian Lara
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It was a fantastic day for West Indies cricket. Chris Gayle, their star batsman, got back into form and slammed the first ODI World Cup double century and helped the Windies seal a 73-run win over Zimbabwe. This is West Indies second win in three matches and with Gayle back in form, the other teams might start to be wary of the West Indies.
Brian Lara thinks so too.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Brian Lara said other teams in the ongoing World Cup would now be scared of the West Indies. (Chris Gayle Inspired by Rohit Sharma )
"It was a fantastic knock to watch. Chris was a little conservative for the 1st 100 runs and then it was just ridiculous hitting. He took total control of the innings and it was great to watch."
Gayle also took his personal tally to 9,000 runs in ODIs and the only man who stands in front of him now is Lara. The highest run-getter from West Indies was very happy with his team's display and thought that the innings from Gayle will be a morale booster for the Windies.
"The moral in the team must be high now. They have won two game and with Gayle back in form, they pose a big danger to the other teams."
Not only Gayle, the left-handed legend from Trinidad was equally amazed by Marlon Samuels. (Chris Gayle, The 'Zlatan' of the Cricket World )
"Samuels treated himself to a 100", Lara said, "he played the supporting role perfectly. He took the singles and gave the strike back to Gayle. It was a great display of batting in a pair."
When quizzed about the controversies surrounding the West Indies team, Lara said, "West Indies cricket is more important than anything."
The ex-Windies star also said that there has been a lot of criticism directed at Gayle and it must have fired up the hard-hitting all-rounder.
"I hope Gayle was fired up from all the criticism. There is a lot of passion in Gayle and at times, he takes it personally. As a sportsman, you need to have a thick skin to cope with the criticism and move ahead with your life."
Lara, however, believed that dropping the likes of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard was a "step in the wrong direction". Tagging them as massive players, Lara said, "It was a huge mistake to drop Bravo and Pollard. They bring a lot to the team. They may not be sparkling performances all the time but are very important for the psyche for the team."
Citing Bravo's sound ODI record and Pollard IPL experience, Lara, a former West Indies skipper said, "Bravo has a great record in the ODIs. He is a fantastic all-rounder and Pollard too, is a big player. He is a great influence in the dressing room and you could see how the team was frustrated when they were dropped."
Lara though, firmly believed that West Indies are in good form and should now only focus on the World Cup.
West Indies square up against South Africa next in Sydney on February 27.
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