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'The guys rallied around me superbly'
Chris Gayle
It was also great to break the spell of not beating a team ranked higher than us for more than seven years © AFP
I woke up this morning still grinning from ear to ear. I’m overjoyed, overwhelmed – just really happy – with our victory (in four days, might I add) over South Africa last Saturday in Port Elizabeth. It has been a long time coming and it was sweet – especially being the underdogs.
I must give a tremendous amount of credit to my team-mates. It was a terrific effort from the guys to defeat the No. 2 team in Test cricket – and for the first time on South African soil. I will not single out any player in particular because I believe everyone deserves the same credit in what was a magnificent team performance. Everybody played a part and I’m very proud of how we handled ourselves throughout this Test match. It shows the work that we have been putting in during our nets.
Naturally, our dressing room was abuzz with excitement and celebrations in the aftermath of our 128-run triumph. We definitely enjoyed the moment. For some guys, such as Dwayne Bravo, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin, it was the first-ever taste of success in a Test – and they’ve been playing for a while now. It was also great to break the spell of not beating a team ranked higher than us for more than seven years.
Before this series, I said we needed to take it one session at a time and that, if we won the majority of sessions, we would be in a strong position to win the match. The guys put their hands up to be counted and they stuck to the task; so much so that we dominated all but one of the 12 sessions.
We did discuss our downfall on the third evening of the game, when we lost six wickets for 34 runs in the second innings, but we didn’t dwell on it. Instead we focused on how we would get ten South African wickets for victory. We knew we had runs on the board and were confident that it would be hard for the opposition to get more than 350 on the fourth and fifth days. As it was, we didn’t need the fifth day.
A lot of compliments have been heaped on me regarding my captaincy but I want to caution that it’s still early days. Also, I can’t take the credit for myself because I have relied on the guys and they have rallied around me superbly. They inspire me. Being out there – still with an injury – was tough but I fought hard to play in this first Test because I wanted to be with my team. So I decided that I was going to play even if I had to do it on one leg.
As captain, I just try to get on with the job and be myself. I don’t know how else to explain it. That’s how I am. If I have something to say, I tell a player as it is and I expect him to be able to take it as a man and not view it personally. I expect the same when I slip up – that people will tell me like it is. I don’t hold it against anyone. I just want to get on with the cricket.
On the field, I try to analyse things; to be ahead of the game and try to anticipate things and respond before those things even happen. I also get suggestions from other players. We’ve played against South Africans on several occasions and we’ve watched them a lot, so we know their strengths and weaknesses. There are some newcomers in their camp so we will be learning more about those players as we go along.
I’ve also realised that a captain should not to have too many unnecessary matters on his mind whenever he goes onto the field. You need to relax and keep a cool head, if not, you’ll definitely be confused. You have to remember you’re in charge and you need to be focused at all times. I like to stand at first slip as it’s a good location from which to assess what’s going on.
Now that we are 1-0 up, we must work even harder to stay ahead in this series. We have to get back into the right mindset immediately for the second of the three Tests, starting in Cape Town on Wednesday (January 2). That’s only two days away so it’s back to business; training and sharpening up to take on the South Africans, who will no doubt be determined to rebound from this loss. I will be seeking to be even fitter for the battle at Newlands. Though I didn’t have any problems with my hamstring injury in the first Test, we’re still monitoring it and I have to be careful not to injure myself again.
By the time I write my next diary, 2008 will have been ushered in. I hope we in the Windies team have given our fans around the world a reason to start the year in good spirits. We’ve been criticised a lot – sometimes unfairly, I think – but we have shrugged that off and are getting on with the job. I would like our supporters to be patient and keep faith in our young unit. I hope what we have achieved in the last few days can be the beginning of something really special for West Indies cricket and that we will see even more improvements. Continue to enjoy the victory and have a Happy New Year.
Chris Gayle
It was also great to break the spell of not beating a team ranked higher than us for more than seven years © AFP
I woke up this morning still grinning from ear to ear. I’m overjoyed, overwhelmed – just really happy – with our victory (in four days, might I add) over South Africa last Saturday in Port Elizabeth. It has been a long time coming and it was sweet – especially being the underdogs.
I must give a tremendous amount of credit to my team-mates. It was a terrific effort from the guys to defeat the No. 2 team in Test cricket – and for the first time on South African soil. I will not single out any player in particular because I believe everyone deserves the same credit in what was a magnificent team performance. Everybody played a part and I’m very proud of how we handled ourselves throughout this Test match. It shows the work that we have been putting in during our nets.
Naturally, our dressing room was abuzz with excitement and celebrations in the aftermath of our 128-run triumph. We definitely enjoyed the moment. For some guys, such as Dwayne Bravo, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin, it was the first-ever taste of success in a Test – and they’ve been playing for a while now. It was also great to break the spell of not beating a team ranked higher than us for more than seven years.
Before this series, I said we needed to take it one session at a time and that, if we won the majority of sessions, we would be in a strong position to win the match. The guys put their hands up to be counted and they stuck to the task; so much so that we dominated all but one of the 12 sessions.
We did discuss our downfall on the third evening of the game, when we lost six wickets for 34 runs in the second innings, but we didn’t dwell on it. Instead we focused on how we would get ten South African wickets for victory. We knew we had runs on the board and were confident that it would be hard for the opposition to get more than 350 on the fourth and fifth days. As it was, we didn’t need the fifth day.
A lot of compliments have been heaped on me regarding my captaincy but I want to caution that it’s still early days. Also, I can’t take the credit for myself because I have relied on the guys and they have rallied around me superbly. They inspire me. Being out there – still with an injury – was tough but I fought hard to play in this first Test because I wanted to be with my team. So I decided that I was going to play even if I had to do it on one leg.
As captain, I just try to get on with the job and be myself. I don’t know how else to explain it. That’s how I am. If I have something to say, I tell a player as it is and I expect him to be able to take it as a man and not view it personally. I expect the same when I slip up – that people will tell me like it is. I don’t hold it against anyone. I just want to get on with the cricket.
On the field, I try to analyse things; to be ahead of the game and try to anticipate things and respond before those things even happen. I also get suggestions from other players. We’ve played against South Africans on several occasions and we’ve watched them a lot, so we know their strengths and weaknesses. There are some newcomers in their camp so we will be learning more about those players as we go along.
I’ve also realised that a captain should not to have too many unnecessary matters on his mind whenever he goes onto the field. You need to relax and keep a cool head, if not, you’ll definitely be confused. You have to remember you’re in charge and you need to be focused at all times. I like to stand at first slip as it’s a good location from which to assess what’s going on.
Now that we are 1-0 up, we must work even harder to stay ahead in this series. We have to get back into the right mindset immediately for the second of the three Tests, starting in Cape Town on Wednesday (January 2). That’s only two days away so it’s back to business; training and sharpening up to take on the South Africans, who will no doubt be determined to rebound from this loss. I will be seeking to be even fitter for the battle at Newlands. Though I didn’t have any problems with my hamstring injury in the first Test, we’re still monitoring it and I have to be careful not to injure myself again.
By the time I write my next diary, 2008 will have been ushered in. I hope we in the Windies team have given our fans around the world a reason to start the year in good spirits. We’ve been criticised a lot – sometimes unfairly, I think – but we have shrugged that off and are getting on with the job. I would like our supporters to be patient and keep faith in our young unit. I hope what we have achieved in the last few days can be the beginning of something really special for West Indies cricket and that we will see even more improvements. Continue to enjoy the victory and have a Happy New Year.
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