I draw inspiration from Misbah-ul-Haq: Chris Gayle

Hard-hitting West Indies batsman Chris Gayle is a renowned batsman in the shortest format of the game. It will only be fitting to say that he has been the most successful T20 batsman till date. The big Jamaican has been a part of various T20 leagues in the past. He is currently plying his trade for the Karachi Kings in the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

After the conclusion of the PSL, Gayle will head to the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp for the 2017 edition of the IPL. In a recent conversation with PakPassion.net, Chris Gayle spoke at length about what it takes to be a good T20 league, his experience in the PSL and playing under Misbah Ul Haq in the Karachi Kings outfit.

Talking about the ingredients of a successful T20 league, Gayle noted that it all comes down to viewership. Unless a tournament manages to get good viewership, it cannot be successful. He mentioned that the PSL can only get bigger and better over the years. For that to happen, it should learn from the likes of IPL and the BBL about how to enhance viewership.

“If you look at the Pakistan Super League, this is only the second edition and in my view the PSL can only get bigger and better. But they have to continue to put in some more hard work; they will need to put in some good public-relations work and build upon their success from the inaugural edition. If they can build-up the viewership, then they can continue on this road but people also need to be patient as it will take some time before all benefits come to light.”

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“If you look at the Indian Premier League, it wasn’t big from the first day but they built it up and it has kept getting bigger and bigger since then. The same applies to the Caribbean Premier League and the Big-Bash; each of these leagues has taken time to build and there is a process to be followed to make that happen,” quoted Chris Gayle.

He is currently a part of the Karachi Kings unit. They have not had the best of starts but are surely looking to bounce back in the matches to follow. He is hoping that the team will hit the right straps soon. Commenting on the team atmosphere, he cited that it has been great thus far.

“The team spirit is wonderful within the Karachi squad. The guys are really enjoying each other’s company and whilst we may have had a poor start but the morale is still high. We have some great guys in the team and a few senior players as well. We have a cool captain and a fantastic coach in Mickey Arthur and are looking forward to the rest of the games. I am sure once we get that first win, it will fill us with more confidence and you will see us play even better cricket out there,” said the West Indies batsman.

The 37-year-old continues to be a frightening prospect for the bowlers. However, he did mention that he will continue to play a couple of years more before taking a call on his retirement. He quoted that he takes inspiration from the likes of Misbah Ul Haq and Younis Khan, who continue to play despite being on the unfavored end of the age cap.

“I am thirty-seven-years old and looking forward to playing maybe another two years or more, if I am being honest with you. As long as the body holds up and is treated properly, then I will see how long I can go on and entertain the fans as much as possible,” said Chris Gayle.

“I draw inspiration from Misbah; let me tell you, Misbah is not old, he’s still young and fresh! Seriously speaking, his participation in the PSL shows that if your body is in good shape, is fine-tuned, then you can go on as for as long as possible. Misbah is an inspiration to players like me as well. I am thirty-seven so Misbah’s career tells me that I have about five more years in me at least. Apart from Misbah, we also have the example of Younis Khan who is still playing so I guess it all depends on how your body feels,” he conceded further.