Should Gayle Move To The Middle Order?

Quote:Long accused of reluctant footwork and a less than stellar defense, Gayle has, at times, fallen afoul of the swinging new ball early in his innings. This might not be relevant today but some time ago Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas, light of pace but guileful of swing, was a consistent thorn in the openers side, dismissing him time after time.

Like every exceptional batsman there are times when he begins an innings in fourth gear, times when he appears to have played himself in from dressing room and is ready to go by the time he hits the middle. Like every batsman, however, he often needs a moment and at least a few deliveries to adjust.

Surviving the early hardships means he will, in many instances, bring his exceptional natural gifts to bear on the proceedings. Opposition bowlers will then have to strain every sinew, try every trick, to get him out and to stop him from scoring.

Chris Gayle at the crease, warm and attuned to conditions, spells danger for the bowling side. Give him 50 balls in a T20 game and a century or so will be next to his name on the scoreboard. And so in order to get the maximum benefit from the games most feared and destructive batsman, his team should consider ways to get him over the early hump.

Given that swing extracted from the new ball often makes that hump higher, the idea of keeping the big left-hander away from the new ball is worth considering. And since reports suggest that the white balls propensity for swing normally lasts only for a few overs, removing the Jamaican from the opening position might be helpful.

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gayle should have been in middle order a long time ago

He may never play the longer versions again