Hooper goes to bat for Gayle
Former West Indies star Carl Hooper has gone in to bat for axed master blaster Chris Gayle.Hooper savaged the decision to dump former skippers Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan for the limited series against Pakistan.
Hooper noted the familiar pattern of sackings after the West Indies failed at a major tournament, this time a quarter-final exit against Pakistan at the one-day World Cup on the subcontinent.
"The last series that Chris played in he made a triple hundred (333) against Sri Lanka at Galle," 102-Test batsman Hooper told The Advertiser.
"We continue to do the same thing in the Caribbean. We go to a major competition or series, are disappointing, we change the coach or players and expect things to change but it doesn't." New coach Ottis Gibson accused senior players of failing to "stand up" at the World Cup with Gayle contributing 170 runs, Chanderpaul 114 and Sarwan 115.
Hooper bemoaned the politics that have dogged Calypso cricket and consumed a string of coaches. "Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul are not playing in the one-day team; you hope replacements are up to it," he said.
SOURCE: AdelaideNow.com