With the West Indies taking seven debutants on their upcoming tour of Australia, former West Indies hard hitting opening batsman Chris Gayle says young players have to be prepared to learn quickly when they enter the international stage.
The Kraigg Brathwaite led 15-man Windies squad featuring seven uncapped players will face Australia in a two test series starting on January 17.
The teams will battle for the Frank Worrell Trophy, last won by the West Indies 31 years ago (1992-93 season).
Noting he endured a torrid tour of Sri Lanka in only his second test series in 2001, Gayle says the young players will have to be mentally strong in what is expected to be a tough series against the Aussies.
“First time in Sri Lanka as well I was dismissed like five times against Chaminda Vass in a test series. Highest score was probably 40 something runs and I finished maybe leave it probably fifty runs in in the entire three match series, you know? But in one day, you know I went down to school You know a lot of runs, but you know words are hard drives from me with Brain Lara, participate a lot of big players condition and you know they didn’t score in it runs as well. So just it was a learning curve. It’s all quickly learned just let faster ball do the same thing as well. So you know it’s all about the batter the skills you develop you know facing a particular goal with so many skills as well sort of the the machine is very good, you know before coming up against.
About that good baller coming up against a good batter. Both are very skillful, both are very skillful, so that made the game a bit more interested as well, very more, you know. Challenging from our from our viewers point of view as well.”
Meanwhile, Gayle says he expects teams to score 500 runs in ODI cricket soon. England has the record for the highest total in ODI Cricket, scoring 498-4 against the Netherlands in 2022.
The West Indies have a highest total of 389 against England which was achieved at St George’s in Grenada in 2019.
However, Gayle who scored 10,480 runs for the Windies with a highest score of 215 in the format says, those totals will soon be eclipsed.