Chris Gayle warns against stifling Yashasvi Jaiswal’s natural game

Christopher Henry Gayle has taken a jab at England opener Ben Duckett’s claim that England’s new aggressive Test approach, dubbed “Bazball,” has revolutionized the game. Duckett had recently said that England must be credited for the way India’s opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal has played in the series.

Gayle, the self-proclaimed “Universe Boss,” while speaking to AFP London, said that attributing aggressive batting solely to Bazball undermines the contributions of past legends like Viv Richards and Brian Lara, whose explosive batting style paved the way for generations of aggressive players.

“Attacking cricket has been played for years, even before Chris Gayle actually set foot on the international scene as well. We had the likes of Viv Richards, those guys set it up for us. Brian Lara, those guys are attacking players in all formats as well. When you actually check their stats, do check how they went about their innings,” he said.

“I don’t think he learned it from England”

Gayle also heaped immense praise on the young Jaiswal who has taken international cricket by storm since making his debut last year. Over the last 10 months or so, he has become a mainstay of India’s T20I and Test lineups. Gayle went on to say that Jaiswal doesn’t look like a newcomer but a seasoned veteran. “I don’t think he learned it from England. That style of play he developed with his coach and mentor. He’s just phenomenal. It’s like the guy has been playing for 20 years, unbelievable. I just hope he can keep it up,” the 44-year-old said.

Gayle added that people should not pile pressure on him or try to change his instincts. He asserted that he should be allowed to play in his usual way as that would be beneficial in the long run. “A lot will be expected of him as he goes on but they should just let him continue to flow. He’s an attacking player, you see that in his T20 cricket as well. That’s in his nature as well and they shouldn’t try to curb him or try to change him,” Gayle added.