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universe boss
West Indies legend Chris Gayle delivers verdict on Ben Stokes replacing Joe Root as England captain, current state of Test cricket and the remarkable rise of T20
West Indies legend Chris Gayle believes England have made the right choice in choosing Ben Stokes as Test captain.
Stokes has taken over from Joe Root after he decided to step down from the role, following intense pressure, after a mauling in the Ashes and a series defeat in the West Indies.
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The Durham all-rounder was unveiled as his replacement this week and Gayle sees no better option.
The ‘Universe Boss’ told talkSPORT: “I think it’s the best choice to have a guy like Ben Stokes, he’s been around world class players and is a proper all-rounder.
“I think he’s the best choice to captain the England side. It was tough for Joe Root to step down, but I’m sure he will get the full support from Root and the rest of the players.
“He’s a guy, based on what he has said, who is more focused on England cricket right now, which is good.
“He’s looking to accomplish more in the sport, within the international side of things.”
There has been question marks raised about how becoming England captain would affect Stokes’ own personal game.
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He has been heavily relied upon in recent years with both bat and ball and any dip in form would be a huge blow.
But Gayle admitted that side of things never really had an impact for him.
When asked if being captain affected his game, Gayle added: “It didn’t affect mine! It made me a better person. It grows you and you know how to relate to people more.
“You know who’s for you. It gives you a challenge and when the pressure is on, that’s when you know who is there for you and who will fight for you.
“It’s really a good thing to be a captain and always a privilege to lead your country as well.”
The state of England in Test matches has been a huge topic of debate, with the country among the best in the world in white ball cricket.
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It perhaps follows a trend on cricket globally shifting focus to the shorter formats of the game, which are far more lucrative.
Gayle told talkSPORT: “Test cricket is in a bit of trouble. I’m worried more for the lower ranked teams. They are not getting the full support.
“The game is such a business now and you have the lower ranked teams getting one or two Test matches.
“It’s always about England, India and Australia. Those are the big teams who play four or five Test matches against each other, we don’t get that chance with the lower ranked teams. It’s a struggle for us.
“We are always going to be down at the bottom and that’s not good for the sport. It’s going to be a big challenge and the ICC need to look into that. That’s very key.”
T20 cricket is a jugganaurt with franchise leagues popping up all over the world. Cricketers can play all year round and make more money than has been possible.
Gayle, who is widely regarded as one of the best T20 batsmen of all time, playing 463 matches and scoring nearly 15,000 runs, admitted he did not predict it would be so big.
“At first, I was looking at the easy way out,” he continued. “Shorter format, you can finish quicker. I wasn’t really looking in the future.
“What is happening today, I wasn’t really expecting that. Since that game, the Stanford game, the $20million game. That changed everything within the sport of T20.
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“That’s why you see so many leagues now. The IPL is the biggest one and pays out more.
“You can get a future out of this game. T20 cricket is a life changing aspect, it changes a lot of lives. It has for me.
“I’m really happy where it’s at today.”
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