Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
Stanford Superstars captain, Chris Gayle, celebrates with the trophy after his team beat England by 10 wickets to win the inaugural Stanford Twenty20 for 20 cricket match, at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Coolidge, Antigua, on Saturday night. - contributed
ST JOHN'S, Antigua:
THE NORMALLY laid-back and unflappable Chris Gayle was full of contrasting emotions on Saturday night after leading the Stanford Superstars to a crushing 10-wicket victory over England in the Stanford Twenty20 for 20 showdown.
Naturally elated that his team had won the match and the whopping winner-take-all prize of US$20 million, which made him and his 10 teammates automatic millionaires, the 29-year-old Jamaican also said the event had been the most stressful of his entire cricketing career.
"Words can't explain how I feel just now," Gayle told the media after the celebrations and a brilliant fireworks display near the Stanford Cricket Ground had died down.
"I'm just glad it's over right now. The feeling is tremendous, outstanding, great happiness, whichever way you want to describe it, but we are very, very grateful for what happened tonight," he said.
"We deserved it. We have been working very hard for six weeks and I would have been very disappointed not to win. Maybe I shed some tears (tonight) but they were victory tears. The guys really came through and I have to commend each and every person from the management down."
However, the joy and monetary rewards were somewhat counterbalanced by the pressure of playing for the greatest prize ever put up for a clash between two teams.
"It was the most pressure I've ever been under," the West Indies captain said.
"There was negative talk off the field and then there was the amount of phone calls I've been getting and those sort of things and a lot was depending on me," Gayle said.
"I had to get the mindset right and I am just grateful how my family brought me up. My back is broad and I was able to handle the pressure," said the left-handed opener who struck a blistering 65 not out off 45 balls with five sixes and five fours to kill off any chance of an England recovery, after they had been bowled out for a paltry 99.
Talk about the money
"This is greater than anything in the world - to win a million dollars. We can talk about the money now. We knew if we did the basics right the money would come."
The pressure on Gayle wasn't just on the cricket front. Back home in Jamaica both his father and brother fell ill and that forced him out of the training camp for some time.
Now, there may be a Twenty20 silver lining to that part of the Gayle saga.
"First of all I'm going to hook up my brother to a doctor to fix his heart," he said. "I'll start with the medical things for my brother and father, no two ways about it," he said of the first moves with his new-found wealth.
"I also just need a couple of days to myself now because I've been really stressed out. Just be by myself, I don't need to see anyone or take anymore calls - unless it's an emergency.
"No one can tell when I am actually under pressure because I don't show emotions that much. That's just the person I am, I keep things inside, but being a captain has forced some changes.
More outspoken
"I've been more outspoken and let out things more because it's not good to keep them inside as it can affect you mentally and so forth.
"I think this experience will really help me as a person."
Gayle's concerns also extended beyond team and family to an absent friend.
Those fans sharp of eye may have noticed that Gayle traded in the No. 45 on his shirt for No. 52 on Saturday night.
"The number represents Marlon Samuels who is always with me, in my heart," Gayle, who returned to Jamaica yesterday with paceman Jerome Taylor, said of his compatriot and teammate who has been banned from the game for two years for his links with an Indian bookmaker.
"It's (the ban) been tough on him but I am really happy to be a part of this for him."
