Chris Gayle unhappy with Wiaan Mulder’s declaration while unbeaten on 367, with Lara’s record clearly in sight.
Wiaan Mulder, South Africa’s interim captain, has come under fire from former West Indies captain Chris Gayle for failing to challenge Brian Lara’s record of the best individual Test score earlier this week when he declared on 367 not out against Zimbabwe.
Lara’s old teammate Gayle claimed that Mulder “may have panicked” and made a mistake by passing up the “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle told talkSPORT. “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it.”
Gayle somewhat agreed with Mulder’s explanation that he took this action out of respect for Lara’s record: “But he was so generous and said he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara.” Perhaps he panicked because he was unsure of what to do.
“Come on, you’re on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.
When South Africa was put in to bat against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, Mulder, 27, was playing in just his 21st Test match. Despite facing 334 balls, 49 of which were stuck for fours and four for sixes, Zimbabwe was unable to get rid of Mulder, who was out at No. 3 in the tenth over of the innings. By the end of the first day, he was undefeated at 264 and not far off Lara’s record of 367 at the time of the teams’ lunch break, but South Africa never batted again as they had promised.
“I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it,” Gayle said. “We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367 and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time.”