Mental preparation key to success - Gayle

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has said that mental preparation was the key to his recent success. He played a crucial role in ensuring West Indies were competitive against New Zealand and finished as the top run-scorer in both the Tests and the one-dayers.

"I'm not crazy but I talk to myself," he said after the final ODI against New Zealand in Napier. "It's my way of working on the mental side. I analyse their [opposition] bowling and what attack I'll be up against and those sorts of things. I'll do that for the series against England as well."

Gayle has hit four centuries in his last nine one-day innings to become the No. 1 ODI batsman. "Once I'm ready mentally, trust me, I can guarantee that I'll get some runs."

Gayle and the ever-reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul were again the key performers against New Zealand and Gayle was unhappy that his side's younger batsmen, such as Xavier Marshall and Kieron Pollard, didn't perform better during the series. "Although quite a few didn't get among the runs, it was a learning process for them," he said. "They should go back home, play some good first-class matches and make the best use of the opportunities when they come around again."

However with a packed schedule ahead once the England series gets underway, Gayle wanted the senior players to get some rest. "I'd advise players to get a break and sort themselves out to be ready for the first Test in Jamaica [starts on February 4]," he said. "When you check the itinerary there is a lot of cricket coming up."

West Indies play four Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 in the home series which ends on April 3, before heading out to England less than three weeks later for two Tests and three ODIs. That will be followed by the World Twenty20 in June before they host Bangladesh for two Tests and three ODIs.