Jet-lagged Gayle "prepared" for Test
Alex Brown
November 25, 2009
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday morning and declared himself "mentally prepared" to play the first Test against Australia, beginning at the Gabba on Thursday. In a tremendous boost for the tourists, Gayle headed directly for the Allan Border Field nets for the Windies' final training session on Wednesday and intimated he would take the field with his West Indian teammates the following day.
Wearing diamond encrusted sunglasses and dressed in black, Gayle stepped out of the international terminal at Brisbane airport and declared: "It's good to be back". When asked when he will decide if he is going to play he said: "Hopefully tomorrow, we'll see what happens." He is expected to attend the captains' pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Gayle has spent almost 100 hours commuting between Jamaica and Australia over the past fortnight, with the latest trip occurring so he could be with his sick mother. She was released from hospital at the weekend, allowing Gayle to plan his way back to Australia. He thanked supporters for their "prayers and best wishes."
"I'm honoured, it's good to be back here," he added, looking remarkably fresh. "Hopefully tomorrow it will be a good day for the West Indies cricket team. This time we'll test our skills against the best team, so I'm looking forward to it."
Gayle kept fans abreast of his recent movements via his Twitter page, including updates on his mother's improving health. He also caused a stir when, before boarding a flight in the United States, he tweeted: "couldn't use my private jet pilot was too drunk so commercial all the way." Upon arriving in Brisbane, Gayle said the post was intended as a joke. "I was mucking around," he said.
Joel Garner, the West Indian team manager, was buoyed by Gayle's return. "He is the captain and one of the leading batsmen and now that he is back we hope he will be well rested over the next 24 hours," Garner told Cricinfo. "I hope he will come out and give us the kind of support and performance that would make West Indians proud."
On Tuesday West Indies' interim coach, David Williams, said he was "almost sure" Gayle would be available to play, but would leave the final decision to his jet-lagged captain. Gayle is no stranger to eleventh hour arrivals ahead of Test series. He landed in England the day before this year's first Test, having been granted special permission by his board to extend his stint in the IPL. He also cut fine his arrival for the 2008 home Test series against Australia, also due to IPL commitments, prompting Williams to quip: "He's getting used to it."
"Chris has done this before and he knows what is before him," Williams said. "It's just a matter of getting acclimatised as quickly as possible and then the ball is in his court whether he wants to play or not. We've just got to wait and see and be hopeful that he's going to be ready for that Test match. It's going to be very important for us to have him.
Williams dismissed suggestions his team could opt to field first on Thursday to allow Gayle additional time to recuperate from his latest long-haul flight. "We're not going to make a decision based on one guy," he said. "If we get to the Gabba and we have a look in the morning and we feel it's feasible for us to be bat then so be it."
