IN their different ways, Chris Gayle’s influence in the West Indies dressing room is as significant as his intimidation of bowlers through his sheer physical power and the substantial, 3.37 kilos (seven-and-a-half pounds) of willow he wields.
In both guises, he should be crucial to the team’s performance in what is his fourth and final World Cup.
At 35, he is the oldest in the squad. His 21 ODI hundreds are more than any other West Indian, his 8,881 runs second to Brian Lara’s 10,405, his 260 matches behind only Lara’s 295 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 268.
Younger players regard such figures and Gayle’s ability to devastate opposing attacks with awe.
