West Indies cricket superstar Chris Gayle visits Albion Junior Cricket Club

Chris Gayle was at Fergusson Park on Monday where he inspired the next generation of cricketers.

It is not every day a superstar visits a humble junior cricket club in Tauranga.

Chris Gayle, one of cricket’s most powerful hitters and nicknamed the Universe Boss, visited Fergusson Park, Matua, as a guest of the Albion Junior Cricket Club on Monday, with a simple mission:

“To have fun,” Gayle said.

Gayle, a friend of a club parent, wanted to hang out with the kids to get them excited about playing the game and “hopefully” see a few playing for their country.

“I also let them know the importance of people representing the country. It’s one of the greatest feelings.”

Gayle represented the West Indies for 20 years, amassing 19,593 runs. Including 7214 runs in tests, 10,480 runs in ODIs, and 1899 runs in T20Is.

He scored two triple centuries in 2005 and 2010, joining Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, and Virender Sehwag in the elite group of batsmen to do so.

Gayle represented the West Indies for 20 years, amassing  19,593 runs.

Kids growing up with cricket today have facilities and conditions at Albion that Gayle did not have access to when he learnt to play.

“We played in the streets, wherever we could get a little area,” he said.

“It was pretty awesome. We didn’t know the value of things.”

Before his trip to Tauranga, Gayle participated in the Black Clash as part of Team Rugby at Hagley Oval on Saturday night and hit 35 runs off 21 balls before falling prey to a diving catch from Kyle Mills.

Team Cricket would come out on top, scoring 210 all out, with Team Rugby 205 for six.

“It was great being a part of Team Rugby with really fantastic guys,” he said.

Though he missed being part of the action, after two decades of “flamboyant” cricket, Gayle knew it was time to hand in the bat and ball.

“The body has got to give sometimes,” he said.

While he had toured New Zealand as part of West Indies teams, he had little chance to see the country and was having a “good time”.

“I think I deserve it.”

Chris Gayle was at Fergusson Park on Monday, where he hung out, signed autographs and inspired the next generation of cricketers.

Gayle signed items and posed for pictures, and even the parents were star-struck to see the gentle giant.

To get a player of Gayle’s stature to Albion Junior Cricket Club was a dream come true, club captain Tim Swager said.

For many cricket-playing parents, Gayle was the megastar of his time and Swager hoped that the visit would boost the club’s profile.

“Our goal as a junior cricket club is to cater to kids from years one to eight primarily and to make kids fall in love with the game of cricket,” Swager said.

The club has 17 junior teams coached by parent volunteers and is looking to grow its girls' team’s hardball side, Swager said.

“We’ll probably be able to form another dedicated girls’ team out of those younger ones in the next year or two.”