Chris Gayle might not be a part of the West Indies Cricket Board’s plans, but he is surely a popular figure amongst his peers.
The burly opener was the toast of the annual Players Association awards, walking away with the 'Cricketer of the Year' trophy along with one other honour. The 31-year-old was discarded by the WICB after he accused them of leaving him the lurch when he was plagued by injuries. But that didn’t change the fact that Gayle was well respected amongst his fellow players.
And that was clearly on show after he was named the 2010 West Indies Players Association (WIPA) Cricketer of the Year at last night's eighth annual awards at the Queen's Hall, St Ann's.
Discarded from the current setup, despite his thunderous performance in the IPL, Gayle has been reduced to being a mere spectator during the ODI series against India.
After receiving the honour, the left-hander thanked God and his young opening partner in the state side, Adrian Barath.
"I feed off of him (Barath) a lot and it is a big inspiration for me to see a youngster dominate the bowling at the other end. It inspires me to do well," he said.
Gayle also won the WIPA 'Test Match Player of the Year' award, beating Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Sulieman Benn and Kemar Roach.
All-rounder Kieron Pollard won the 'One Day International Player of the Year' trophy.
 |
                                                                                           |
 |