Gayle, the cheerleader
He may not be part of the national side, but Chris Gayle is doing his bit as a cheerleader, supporting West Indies from the stands
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
He may not be part of the national side, but Chris Gayle is doing his bit as a cheerleader, supporting West Indies from the stands. With the occasional bit of banter thrown in. Bharat Suderesan observes Gayle during the final ODI in Jamaica at his home ground. More from the Indian Express.
The closer the West Indies got to their target, the louder Gayle got. He continued to shout out advice towards his team mates batting in the centre. He jumped in ecstasy and cheered wildly following every boundary but hooted every time an Indian fielder stopped a ball. The self-imposed West Indian cheerleader was holding court, and his teammates too began to respond to it. More than once Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard lifted their bat towards the Mound stand and acknowledge Gayle’s support. That is before Samuels — also playing on his home ground — rushed towards the Mound once West Indies had sealed the match and jumped over the fence to shake hands — almost a la Pat Cash — with his long-time team mate and friend.
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo