Chris Gayle Does not Like Umpiring Challenge System

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

West Indies captain Chris Gayle has said that he does not like the new system of challenging umpires’ decision on the field. Gayle thinks that two on-field umpires are enough to get the job done. He believes in acceptance of whatever decision given by the umpires, be it on his favor or not. Following the rain affected drawn first test against New Zealand, Gayle talked about his opinion on this system which is on trial during the test series.

The New Zealand Herald reported:

“To be honest I’m not really a big fan of it,” Gayle said yesterday. “You have two standing umpires out there to actually get the job done, just like we [the players] have to get the job done sometimes.”

“Some of them are a bit 50-50 on it as well. Everybody has got their opinion, but we’ll see what the outcome will be in the next couple of months.”

Chris Gayle, however, got an advantage of this system during the first test when his challenge against umpire Amish Saheba’s decision of not giving out on a lbw appeal against New Zealand batsmen Daniel Flynn, who was batting on 95 that time, was accepted by third umpire Rudi Koertzen.

Chris Gayle will not Miss Test Cricket

Chris Gayle has said that he would not miss test cricket if the game’s five-day formats get extinct. Rather, he would be happy to play twenty20 cricket, the latest version of the game. Chris Gayle and his leadership have come under scrutiny after West Indies’ heavy 10-wicket defeat in the first test at Lord’s. Chris Gayle joined the team just two days prior to the first test, having represented Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2009. Naturally, question regarding his commitment arose thereafter, and now that, West Indies is going to take on England in the second test, Chris Gayle is now under huge pressure.

Chris Gayle has also dismissed England captain Andrew Strauss’ comment on the performance of West Indies. Strauss said that Gayle had crossed the line and he should have prepared better for the first test. Gayle retaliated by saying that Strauss should not think about West Indies team and its captain; rather he should focus on his own team. Gayle has also said that players like Strauss would not be able to survive in cricket without its test format.

Well, Chris Gayle is definitely one of the big hitter of cricket at this moment and twenty20 is perhaps the perfect platform for him. So, I guess, he might quit test cricket in order to focus more on ODI and twenty20 cricket.

Related article:

Sky Sports