JUST when you thought things couldn’t get much worse for the beleaguered Dolphins, they’ve just got worse.
Chris Gayle’s groin injury that required him to retire hurt on 30 in his final match for the Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League in Dhaka on Thursday has thrown the Dolphins into disarray.
Gayle, the world’s most destructive batsman, certainly in the T20 format, was to have flown in to King Shaka International this evening to something approaching a hero’s welcome. He would have had a net with his new teammates at Kingsmead on Saturday morning, and opened the innings with Loots Bosman in the Dolphins’ opening match against the Impi in the MiWay T20 Challenge in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. None of those things will happen now.
This week, Bosman said he was “very excited” about the prospect of opening with Gayle. Asked about how he anticipated running between the wickets with his new partner, the former Protea T20 opener quipped: “I don’t think running between the wickets is particularly high on our agendas.” That remark may turn out to be only too sadly true now.
A press release from KZN Cricket on Thursday confirmed Gayle’s injury. CEO Jesse Chellan said: “He is going to be assessed by his medical team and they will advise us accordingly. We will update our fans and the media as soon as we have further information.”
Gayle had been in sparkling form in Bangladesh, smashing two centuries in his five innings for a total of 288 runs at an average of 96. Altogether he hit 19 fours and 26 sixes in his games for the Burners, and local crowds would have expected a great deal more from the 32-year-old Jamaican.
The loss of Gayle, if his injury proves serious, is nothing less than a disaster for the Dolphins, not least because the Jamaican would have put precious bums on seats for the franchise, as well as boosted their chances of reaching the final and a passport to dollar riches in the Champions League.
Gayle’s injury feels like the last straw for the franchise in a blighted season. The Dolphins finished nowhere in the 50-over One-Day Cup, partly because of four consecutive rained out home matches in November, and stone last in the four-day SuperSport Series, the second time this has happened in the past three years. On Saturday, the Dolphins suffered the heaviest ever defeat – by an innings and 325 runs – in the franchise era as the Titans brushed them aside on their way to winning the competition.
At the beginning of this year, the Dolphins had a coach, Graham Ford, and the promise that their T20 aspirations had been boosted by international stars Shaun Tait and Gayle. Now Ford has quit, the Aussie fast bowler has withdrawn from his contract because of an elbow injury and there are serious concerns that Gayle may be forced to do likewise.
Sensibly, interim coach Lance Klusener is trying to look on the positive side of things. “We haven’t even talked about our defeat against the Titans. We’ve understood it for what it was and put it away. It’s all been positive stuff this week.”
Klusener said that although his team was full of talent, his greatest challenge was to convince players that they could win matches. “I’ve got to try and get them performing again, getting pride from their own performances as well as playing for each of their teammates,” he said.
Commenting on Gayle, Klusener said he hoped he would recover and play a major role in the competition.
“Everyone’s excited to have him. Obviously his on-field performances will be valuable but I also hope that his experience will rub off on the youngsters in the dressing room and the nets. Even if we don’t win anything, I hope that Chris will have a special influence on the guys.”
Dolphins (from): Kyle Abbott, Ahmed Amla, Cameron Delport, Cody Chetty, Dane Paterson, Daryn Smit, David Miller, Imraan Khan, Keshav Maharaj, Mathew Hulett, Mthokozisi Shezi, Robbie Frylinck, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Prenelan Subrayen. (CSA contracted players: Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Loots Bosman)
New Age Impi (from): Paul Collingwood (England, capt), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Adrian McLaren (Griquas), Dominic Hendricks (Lions), Richard Cameron (Gauteng Strikers), Cobus Pienaar (Easterns), Charl Pietersen (Griquas), Khaya Zondo (Dolphins), Siya Simetu (WP), Beuran Hendricks (Cobras), Craig Alexander (Lions), Pumelela Matshikwe (Lions), Ryan Canning (WP)
Start: 2.30pm Sunday