GAYLE’S WORRYING LACK OF FORM

“To be honest, I’m so glad we actually won the series. This morning I woke up and saw the World Cup squad and there was no (Kieron) Pollard and no (Dwayne) Bravo. It really hurts deeply inside, and that’s the reason I actually wanted to win the series,” said Gayle in an emotional response at the post-match ceremony. “We have the best team here, and to see those two guys excluded is sad for West Indies cricket. If you really believe in our ability, those two guys should be in West Indies cricket, both in South Africa for the 50-over tournament and in the World Cup squad.”

Those were Chris Gayle’s comments that were made in January to the world after West Indies selectors named the West Indies’ One Day International squad for the ICC World Cup currently on in Australia and New Zealand leaving out his friends Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard. For those comments the powerful Jamaican batsman is to face the WICB Disciplinary Panel and faces possible sanctions. In hindsight Gayle might be wishing he had not said those words to the world after his match-winning performance in a T20 match against South Africa. In hindsight, Gayle might have also been concerned about his own form in ODIs because the players who ostensibly replaced Bravo and Pollard – Simmons and Russell have thrived, the player who criticized their inclusion, has not.

In two matches so far in the World Cup Gayle has scores of 36 and 4 in totals of 304 and 310. So far Chris Gayle has not delivered. Right Gayle is the one struggling to believe in his own ability because over the past three years the man many people believe to be one of the best T20 batsmen in the world, has not shown the same form in the longer ‘short’ version of the game.

According to figures obtained from espncricinfo.com Gayle’s form has been woeful in One Day Internationals. Going back to February 2013 Gayle has played in 25 matches and has one century and one score over 50; 109 against Sri Lanka in Kingston in June 2013 and 58 against Bangladesh in St. George’s in August 2014. In between the opener has scores of 11, 10, 14, 1, 1, 8, 30, 21, 0, and 3. Since that last score of 58, Gayle’s numbers read like this: 6, 41, 19, 1, 10, 0, 36, 4. The last two scores are from the World Cup matches against Ireland and Pakistan.

To be fair, Gayle has been battling a back injury that might have something to do with the poor form but the fact that he is playing means he is capable of delivering, or at least that should be the expectation since he has been selected to play because as we all know Gayle doesn’t play unless he wants to. His seniority allows him that privilege. He has been among our best batsmen over the past decade. His performances with the bat pales only in comparison to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who has been one of the most consistent batsmen for the West Indies in its history.

But since he is in the team and entrusted with the responsibility of getting the West Indies off to the best starts possible, Gayle has to be judged on what he has delivered. Based on what the figures have shown he has not. Because even if we go back a few more matches to July 7, 2012 when Gayle scored 125 against New Zealand at Sabina Park, following that match and February 2013, he has knocks of 11, 16, 5, 35, 15, 4, 16 and 2. In fact that 125 came at the end of his last purple match as his scores – in reverse order – prior to that score were 63, 53, 8, 43, 37, and 80. That last score was made in February 2011.

In hindsight instead of blasting the selectors in January, perhaps Gayle should have been grateful that they picked him instead of being critical of the selectors for not picking his friends. Because based on his record prior to the World Cup, the selectors picked him based on ability but definitely not on delivery.