Strauss Refutes Gayle Claims

Last updated: 13 May 2009
Posted By: Nasrun-Min-Ullah-Mir

Adding more bite to the second Test, English cricket captain Andrew Strauss has rebuffed claims of his West Indian counter partner and has said that Test cricket remains the ultimate form of cricket.

Gayle reignited the controversy ahead of second Test at Chester-le-Street when in an interview to English daily, The Guardian he revealed that he won’t be sad if Test cricket was superseded by the new Twenty20 in near future.

When the newspaper asked him about the possibility of Twenty20 superseding Test cricket, the flamboyant Gayle said: “I wouldn’t be sad. Some other players would be.

“Maybe Andrew Strauss would be sad. Maybe he will be sad if Test cricket dies and Twenty20 comes in. Because there is no way he can make change. So tough luck.

I have liked Twenty20 since it came in. I like it. Who doesn’t? Maybe a couple of the Englishmen wouldn’t like to play Twenty20.”

Replying to his statements, Strauss said: “I was answering a question about the future of Test cricket.

“Chris views on Test cricket and the future of that are his own opinion and I don’t really get drawn into that. The last thing I want to concentrate on is what is happening with the West Indies squad, that is not of great importance to us really.”

But he added: “I feel if our players turned up two days before that wouldn’t give us enough time to prepare properly.”  Read More