The Hindu : Sport : Lara all praise for Gayle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 03, 2006
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Lara all praise for Gayle

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Brian Lara's face glowed with pride and delight at having stormed into the final of the Champions Trophy with a thumping win over South Africa here on Thursday.

"I never thought it would be so easy. We put them on the back foot. I think everyone in the team should be commended," said Lara.

Picking opener Chris Gayle for special mention, Lara described him as "fantastic", and added, "He was excellent tonight. We know he is a top player. He is very chirpy, maybe a bit comical at times, but he is a great influence on the guys."

Lara said, "We kept the pressure on them all the time. Our self-belief saw us through, though we need to work on a few things. But credit must be given to South Africa. They tried till the end."

The West Indies skipper praised curator Taposh Chatterjee for the excellent pitch that he had prepared. "I must say the pitch today was the best we have played on in this tournament. It was excellent."

Sporting crowd

Lara also praised the Jaipur crowd for the support it gave to the game. "I was happy at the turnout after the crowd stayed away at Mohali and Ahmedabad. It was nice to see them come and support even when the home team was not playing," he said.

Gayle began with a comment that summed up his character. "I am getting cramps. Please keep it nice and short."

Describing himself as "flamboyant and pretty to watch at the crease", Gayle noted, "I am a moody guy. I can do ridiculous things, talk to myself, joke to keep myself going."

Gayle shared the limelight with Shivnarine Chanderpaul. "He is very experienced, rotates the strike very well, and is a very dangerous batsman," he said.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur summed it up nicely. "Gayle was outstanding and West Indies never let us settle at any point," he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport