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Chris Gayle: 10 moments that showed just why the Jamaican legend is the ‘World Boss’
There is more to Gayle than meets the eye, but there is also no denying his place as one of the most vibrant characters in international cricket.
21 September 2015 • 2:56 AM
Chris Gayle, born September 21, 1979, is one of the most colourful cricketers in modern times. A man who plays cricket with the abandon that might make purists turn up their noses, Gayle is every bit the contemporary entertainer that T20 cricket is all about. The fact that he is only the fourth man in history to score two Test triple-centuries is sometimes unfortunately forgotten. However, as staggering as Gayle’s on-field exploits are, his persona off the field is what truly sets him apart from his generation. On his 36th birthday, Shiamak Unwalla takes a look at 10 moments that showed just why Gayle is the ‘World Boss.’
1. IPL escapades: It would not be a stretch to say that Christopher Henry Gayle is an IPL legend. Gayle was a part of IPL since its inception, but achieved mind-boggling heights from 2011-2013 playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, when he scored 2,049 runs in 43 matches at an average of well over 60 and a strike rate north of 160. He also scored four centuries in this period including the now-legendary 175 not out against Pune Warriors India. After a lacklustre 2014 (he scored a mere 196 runs at 21.77), he was back to his belligerent ways in 2015, slamming 491 runs at 40.91 with another hundred, to extend his tally to five tons. READ: Chris Gayle: The Hulk of modern cricket!
2. Giving back: Gayle comes from a humble background. The fifth child out of six, Gayle’s father was a policeman and his mother sold snacks in their neighbourhood. Though they were not impoverished, the family was far from rich. As a boy Gayle got into a bit of trouble now and then. Once he attained success as a cricketer, however, Gayle started giving back. He started charitable foundations in Jamaica and London called ‘The Chris Gayle Academies’ whose mission is “to improve access to good quality education, training and employment for at risk young people in Jamaica and the UK. The desire of The Chris Gayle Academies is not to find talented new cricketers but instead to develop the skills, aspirations and networks of support for young people attending the academy.” Gayle is known to be a lavish spender, but a lot of it goes to charity as well.
3. Palace in Jamaica: Gayle grew up in a shack, but his current home in Jamaica is nothing short of a palace. It has two swimming pools, four garages, a home cinema, a bar, a stripping pole in his bedroom* (which also has mirrors on the ceiling), and looks over the Jamaican skyline. If that isn’t a house for the ages, nothing is.
Note: The Instagram post that mentions the stripping pole also has the text “if u don’t have a strip club at home, U ain’t a cricket ‘Player”. Go figure.
4. Triple Century Sports Bar: A lot of cricketers tend to open restaurants toward the twilight of their playing careers. Sachin Tendulkar, Mahela Jayawardene, and Kumar Sangakkara are examples. Gayle chose to open a bar instead, called the ‘Triple Century Sports Bar.’ He regularly parties there, and has drinks called ‘CG Specials’ which comprise of a lot of rum.
5. Names: Few people can get away with christening themselves ‘legend’ or ‘World Boss,’ and not sounding like pompous airheads. Gayle is one such person though. He puts the hashtag ‘WorldBoss’ at the end of most of his Instagram posts and makes it sound convincing. Even his gardener calls him ‘legend,’ and it is not an ironic name. Gayle truly is one in a million! GALLERY: Happy Birthday, Chris Gayle!
6. Mr Cool: There is seemingly no end to how cool Gayle can be. From this tweet…
I’m jealous of my parents. I’ll never have a kid as cool as theirs. — Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) March 8, 2013
To batting (and scoring a century) while wearing sunglasses…
There is hardly any doubt about who the coolest cricketer in the world is.
7. Whoooops: The sight of AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis, and Morne Morkel crying after the tense ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-final loss to New Zealand was heartbreaking even for non-South Africans. They had put in their heart and soul, and had ended up losing off the last ball of the match. Their sorrow made everyone feel for them, including the triumphant Black Caps. And there were the West Indies, who had crashed out of the World Cup in the Quarter-Finals against the same opposition, New Zealand. A day after the defeat, Sulieman Benn posted this video on Instagram:
How can you not love West Indians?
8. Dressing sharply: There are few people, much less cricketers, who can look good in anything they wear. From vibrant shorts and sleeveless tops to glowing boots and golden suits to the most stylish of tuxedos, Gayle can carry it all off with élan.
9. Charming police officers: Gayle seems to have an affinity for female police officers, as evidenced by his Instagram…
Bad boy indeed.
10. Love for teammates: For all his flamboyancy and obvious charisma, at heart Gayle remains a professional cricketer with an intense love for his country and his teammates. In January 2015, Gayle scored a 41-ball 90 to help West Indies pull off a magnificent 232-run chase in a T20I against South Africa. It helped West Indies win the series as well. Incidentally, it was the day on which West Indies’ squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was announced, and two of Gayle’s friends — Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo — were dropped.
Gayle was visibly disheartened, and made no effort to hide his disgust at the post-match presentation. “To be honest, I’m so glad we actually won the series…this morning I woke up and saw the World Cup squad, and there was no [Kieron] Pollard and no [Dwayne] Bravo. It really hurts deeply inside, and that’s the reason I actually wanted to win the series. We have the best team here, and to see those two guys excluded is sad for West Indies cricket. If you really believe in our ability, those two guys should be in West Indies cricket, both in South Africa for the 50-over tournament, and in the World Cup squad.”
There is more to Gayle than meets the eye, but there is also no denying his place as one of the most vibrant characters in international cricket. Happy Birthday, World Boss!
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(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)