Explosive West Indies opener Chris Gayle isn’t happy with the approach of the modern-day openers in the T20s. The former West Indies captain believes that top order batters are “killing the entertainment” in the format by batting cautiously in the powerplay overs. The 42-year-old explosive batter expressed his views on the day he scored a blistering unbeaten 52-run knock off just 23 balls laced with three fours and five big sixes in the T10 match between Team Abu Dhabi and Bangla Tigers.
"I don't know why batters get so cagey during the first 6 overs. When T20 cricket started, guys were going from ball one, if you really check the history of T20 cricket looking back on it. Sometimes they bat to get a score and they take away from the fire they should be bringing to the batting department in the first six overs,” Gayle said in a statement.
"They're killing the entertainment in T20 cricket, straight up, because in those first six overs, we can get more as openers but guys are taking their own time, I don't like that fact, I think we should go hard, keep the entertainment that is within the game of T20 cricket and continue to keep that aggression in the first six overs.” the 42-year-old added.
However, the veteran batter reckons that the introduction of the T10 format will revive the entertainment in shorter formats.
"I think, with T10 cricket, that's how T20 cricket started. From the first over, batters used to go but T20 cricket has slowed down dramatically and T10 cricket has now raised the bar a bit," the southpaw asserted.
Gayle’s side led by Liam Livingstone are currently are on the top of the points table in the ongoing T10 league in Abu Dhabi by winning five out of six games. Also, the single loss came against their encounter against Bangla Tigers on Friday (November 26) as they failed to chase down the 131-run target and lost by 10 runs.
