Quantcast

De Villiers not surprised by no show

South Africa star not reading too much into former 'teammate' Gayle missing training

South African captain AB De Villiers was probably less surprised than most that West Indies batting linchpin Chris Gayle didn't train on the eve of their cricket World Cup clash at the SCG.

Hard-hitting left-handed opener Gayle, who is coming off a tournament-record 215 not out on Tuesday against Zimbabwe, didn't work out with his teammates at their Thursday net session.

West Indies captain captain Jason Holder didn't suggest Gayle would miss Friday's game and that it was more a case of keeping an eye on a ongoing back issue.

"In terms of Chris's fitness, obviously he's been struggling over the past with his back, so we're trying to monitor him as best as we possibly can," Holder said.

De Villiers, a teammate of Gayle's at Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, could see the funny side of the opposing batsman's absence from training.

"He doesn't train often," de Villiers quipped.

"I played with him in Bangalore, and you don't often see him in the nets.

"His body is quite old for his age (35) I think and he needs to look after himself to make sure he gets on the park for all the games."

Gayle smashed ten fours and an incredible 16 sixes in his 147-ball innings against Zimbabwe.

"It's not a surprise to see him bat like that," de Villiers said.

"It's a matter of making sure you make your plans against him.

"He's a world class player and he can win games for his team in almost any situation."

Gayle's whirlwind knock in Canberra ended a lean trot of 52 runs from his previous seven innings.

Related: Gayle's record knock by the numbers

"We've always rallied around Chris, Chris is one of the most jovial people in the dressing room," Holder said.

"He brings a different atmosphere. He brings a lot of fun.

"He's a big team man and his presence is pretty much felt in the dressing room.

"It was a really good feeling not only to see him get a hundred, but going to get a double hundred.

"He's broken records, and he's set the path in world cricket in a sense.

"I think it's important that his success is crucial to our overall success. We love him, and he's a huge member for us.

"It's good to have him.