By Ajeyo Basu
Jun 10 (IANS): Book: Six Machine; Author: Chris Gayle; Pulisher: Penguin Viking; Price: Rs 599; Pages: 275
"I'm weird, I'm a weirdo. You think you know me? You don't know me." Chris Gayle begins his autobiography 'Six Machine' in typically in-your-face style, just like his explosive batting.
The swashbuckling West Indies opener gives a comprehensive account of his colourful life, right from an impoverished childhood to becoming one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket.
The tall, muscular left-hander, who has gifted some of the most unforgettable moments in Twenty20 cricket to followers of the game all around the world, offers rare glimpses into his life and career in the book.
The self-styled 'world boss' and 'six machine' laces his narrative with grandiose, self-important hyperbole and quotable quotes in his native colloquial Jamaican dialect. He starts by telling the readers that he is a wierdo and takes them on the journey of a shy, skinny cricket obsessed kid, growing up in a tin-roofed shack in Kingston who goes on to become one of the game's most exciting players, travelling the globe as a gun for hire for various franchises around the world.
Six Machine: Gayle's autobiography as explosive as his batting (Book Review)
By Ajeyo Basu (12:52)
Book: Six Machine; Author: Chris Gayle; Pulisher: Penguin Viking; Price: Rs 599; Pages: 275
"I'm weird, I'm a weirdo. You think you know me? You don't know me." Chris Gayle begins his autobiography 'Six Machine' in typically in-your-face style, just like his explosive batting.
The swashbuckling West Indies opener gives a comprehensive account of his colourful life, right from an impoverished childhood to becoming one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket.
The tall, muscular left-hander, who has gifted some of the most unforgettable moments in Twenty20 cricket to followers of the game all around the world, offers rare glimpses into his life and career in the book.
The self-styled 'world boss' and 'six machine' laces his narrative with grandiose, self-important hyperbole and quotable quotes in his native colloquial Jamaican dialect. He starts by telling the readers that he is a wierdo and takes them on the journey of a shy, skinny cricket obsessed kid, growing up in a tin-roofed shack in Kingston who goes on to become one of the game's most exciting players, travelling the globe as a gun for hire for various franchises around the world.
Gayle also describes in detail his 175 not out in the massive 130-run win over Pune Warriors in the 2013 edition of the IPL. It was the highest ever individual score in T20 cricket and Gayle has claimed that he could have even scored a double century if he had got more of the strike.
The only batsman to hit the first ball of a Test match for a six, Gayle also offers an apology in his trademark bombastic style to people whose cars have been damaged by his sixes.
Apart from his exploits in the shortest format of the game, Gayle also talks about his achievements in Test cricket.
He recalls with great pride his 317 against South Africa in 2005 and 333 against Sri Lanka in 2010. Gayle admits that he took great pleasure in tormenting the South Africans, specially his rivalry with pacer Andre Nel. He nominated his feat against the Lankans in Galle as the more memorable of the two triple tons because it came less than a month after he was unceremoniously stripped of the captaincy.