Christopher Gayle Good for team morale
commentary by SHAM SAMAROOWest Indies captain, Chris Gayle, at the press conference following the team's emphatic six-wicket victory with a day to spare in the second test against Sri Lanka at Port of Spain:
"Well done to the guys. It was a shaky start but they came out on the top in the end. The bowlers did a tremendous job, Taylor, Fidel. It was a terrific effort from Sarwan. We enjoyed every minute of it. This win does lots of good for the morale of the team. We have come from behind to equal the series." Effusive in praise of his teammates, Gayle truly understands that effective leadership is empowering leadership; it is leadership that supports, encourages, and celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of every player. Pardon the cliché but when a leader puts the TEAM first – Together Everyone Achieves More.
A few years ago, at the ICC celebrations in Australia, Chris Gayle demonstrated to the world his allegiance to the West Indies and his unerring commitment to team first. Called upon, at the last moment, to carry the West Indies flag after Brian Lara’s refusal, Gayle unhesitatingly accepted and proudly strode onto the stage with the flag to stand alongside the other cricket playing nations.
Today, under his captaincy, an encouraging wind of change is slowly taking hold of West Indies cricket. Viewed through unbiased lens, this change was evident from the very beginning on the tour to England. Although at times it may seem more like two steps forward, one step back, the change is unmistakable.
After the contentious Lara era, there was nowhere else for West Indies cricket to go but up. Yet, to expect that a change in leadership would immediately result in victory naively ignores the damage wrecked upon the psyche of West Indies cricket throughout those difficult years. Several of the current players are survivors of that era. Then, too, there still remained the not so small matter of a cricket board that, through the years, succeeded, with unprecedented distinction, in molding ineptness and mismanagement into an unenviable art form.
The tour to England saw Chris Gayle putting his hand up as a leader to expose the hypocrisy of the Board. By publicly challenging the board, Gayle would have known that he risked putting his career on the line. In showing that he was willing to stand up for what he believed, and to face the consequences, whatever they may be, endeared him to his teammates. Finally, it seemed, West Indies had come upon a leader who was willing to put West Indies cricket ahead of his personal ambitions.
Despite the series loss, progress was very much evident in England as the culture of the West Indies game changed from one of inevitable surrender to one filled with – to quote US presidential hopeful Barack Obama – the audacity of hope. The first test saw West Indies recovered from five wickets down to post a challenging first innings total, and a chance of victory had it not rained on day five.
At Old Trafford, hope was very much evident as West Indies gave England a scare chasing a huge last innings total for victory. In the final test at Durham, the team was again in contention; in fact at one point they were in a match winning position. The only test in which the team was outplayed was at Leeds having lost the services of Sarwan early in the game, and Chanderpaul due to injury.
The trend continued in Port Elizabeth with the team registering a historic first ever victory in South Africa. It was the first time, in a very long time, since West Indies had beaten a team, rated above them, in a test match away from home. Today’s win in Port Spain to level the series and avoid a sweep demonstrates a team that is playing together, supporting each other, and knows that in Chris Gayle they have come upon a leader who is willing to share the stage and the limelight.