World T20: Chris Gayle confident ahead of opening tie against Australia

Explosive West Indies batsman Chris Gayle on Thursday sounded confident ahead of game against Australia to be played on Saturday.

Interacting with reporters here on the sidelines of team’s practice session, Gayle said the West Indies’ will be taking things as they come in the competition.

Acknowledging the potential of the current West Indies side, Gayle said, “Look at our team – we can bat right down, bowling-wise, we have spinners and fast bowlers. Key for us is to get to the second round, and try and take it step by step. You don’t want to wait around for too long before you play a game. You want to get in it and make best use of the conditions. Sometimes you have to wait around for a week and that can get quite difficult. Try and get in the right frame of mind. The first game (against Australia) is vital. You don’t want to play catch-up cricket in T20, so it’s a very big match for us. It will also get our confidence going.

Known for hitting massive sixes with consummate ease, the big Jamaican, who topped the six-hitting charts in the IPL, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Big Bash league, said, “Once the ball is in your slot, you have to go for it. I am sure everybody can hit a six these days. Everybody has got big bats, its easy to clear the boundary. So it’s one of those things – you try and get a start and once you are set, you can take advantage of the conditions once you get accustomed to all the bowlers.

“You got to be still to hit lot of sixes and try and make the best use of the opportunities. You got to be mindful of these things; you got to be prepared mentally as well,” Gayle added.

The left-hander, who turns 33 tomorrow, shared his birthday plans as well.

“I’ll spend it with the West Indies women’s team. Have a quiet drink and sit around,” he chuckled.

“Yeah tomorrow I’ll be 33, looking forward to it. I am looking to celebrate it with a win against Australia,” he added.

When asked to comment on the Indian side, Gayle, a popular figure in India, said, “They (the Indian side) fancy themselves to win the World Cup. They have done it before and they have got the side to do it as well. They have got a lot of match winners.”