With the standoff between WICB and Chris Gayle over after the explosive batsman pledged his availability for the country, the West Indies cricket team is gearing up to welcome him back but captain Darren Sammy insisted that he will need to get used to the "hardworking culture" in the dressing room.
Published: May 04, 2012, 06:07 PM (IST)
Edited: May 04, 2012, 06:07 PM (IST)
Chris Gayle made himself available for selection for the one-day leg of the West Indies’ tour of England starting on June 16 © Getty Images
Hove (England): May 4, 2012
With the standoff between WICB and Chris Gayle over after the explosive batsman pledged his availability for the country, the West Indies cricket team is gearing up to welcome him back but captain Darren Sammy insisted that he will need to get used to the “hardworking culture” in the dressing room.
Sammy backed the explosive batsman to be part of the side for the ODI series against England next month.
However, he said that his predecessor will need to get used to the new “hardworking culture” put in place in the West Indies dressing room.
“… as a team we have moved on … with a new attitude.
We are going to strive to move forward. When Chris joins the set-up, he will be coming into a very hardworking environment in which he has to fit in,” he said.
“Whoever comes into the dressing myself and coach would welcome them. We would urge them to contribute to the team’s success. If he is in it is good for us. We all know what he’s capable of doing. Hopefully he could fit in nicely and do the job to take West Indies cricket forward.”
Gayle made himself available for selection for the one-day leg of the West Indies’ tour of England starting on June 16 as he decided to forsake his contract with Somerset as an overseas player for the Friends Life t20.
West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said if Gayle was available, he would “definitely be picked” for the ODI series.
“It’s great to hear that Chris is available again. I’m sure the selectors will pick him because he is world-class. If he’s made himself available for the ODI series, I can’t see him not being selected,” Gibson told reporters ahead of his side’s three-day tour match against Sussex beginning on Saturday.
Gibson, who has been openly critical of Gayle in the past, was confident that despite having not played international cricket since the 2011 World Cup, the opener would slip back into the team environment without fuss.
“It will be easy (for him). He’s the best ODI batsman in the world. So I don’t think it will be a problem at all. He plays very well, going into many different dressing rooms all round the world and making runs. I don’t think coming into ours will be any different.”(PTI)
