DUBAI: West Indies cricketer Darren Bravo hailed soon-to-be-retired batsman Chris Gayle as “hero to the young players” and termed his playing experience with the swashbuckling batsman as “priceless”.
Recently, Gayle announced that he would retire from the one-day international cricket (ODI) after the World Cup which is slated to be held in England and Wales, later this year.
“He's definitely a hero to the young players. Not even a hero; he's a legend. The experience of having Chris in the dressing room is priceless. He puts a smile on each and every player's face. And, as you can see when we go out there, we really enjoy our cricket,” ICC quoted Bravo, as saying.
“If you look at the stats, he's achieved a lot at the international level. He's a special player. We're really happy to have him,” he added.
Bravo said that Gayle is still an asset for the team and is the one who always helps youngsters with their game.
“He's getting on a bit in age, but he's still striking the ball nicely, so that is the most important thing,” he said. “And in the dressing room, he's always giving information, he's helping all the youngsters. I think over the last few years he's changed the game a little bit. He's not going so hard as before. He understands his game pretty well,” he said.
“As long as it all goes well, as far as his approach is concerned, I don't see any reason we can't consistently cross the 300 mark,” he added.
The left-hand batsman, who made a comeback after being out of action for some time, said that he is quite happy with the current atmosphere in the dressing room and is enjoying his style of play.
“I'm happy; the guys are smiling. It's always good to have the best of both worlds. It's a good feeling. There's a nice gel of experience and young guys. The fans are enjoying our style of play, which is the most important thing,” Bravo said.
West Indies are currently playing a five-match ODI series against England which is tied at 1-1.