By Canadian Press

Gayle Force: Cricket great Chris Gayle to throw opening pitch at Blue Jays game

Jun 23, 2023 | 1:52 PM

TORONTO — The Universe Boss is embracing his role as an ambassador for the sport of cricket.

Chris Gayle will be throwing out the opening pitch at Rogers Centre on Saturday as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Oakland Athletics. The 43-year-old Jamaican all-rounder said that as his playing days are winding down he wants to use his platform to help grow cricket, the sport he loves.

“It’s good to have a sportsman from a different sport, both combining together, it’s really good,” said Gayle, sitting in the Blue Jays dugout at Rogers Centre and holding a baseball bat. “That builds more of a relationship between the two sports.

“Baseball opens more doors for cricket and it’s going to be a vice-versa when they see a cricketer is here at a baseball game. We will have the cricket eyes coming over to the baseball too.”

Gayle has set records in all three formats of cricket.

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He’s the most capped player for the West Indies in international cricket. He’s also the only player to have a triplet of centuries, with a triple hundred in Tests, a double hundred in one day international play and a hundred in Twenty20 play.

Gayle is also the only player to score more than 14,000 runs and hit more than 1,000 sixes in Twenty20 cricket, the shortest format of the sport that has only 20 overs.

He hopes that his appearance at Rogers Centre will get Toronto’s large West Indian and South Asian communities out to a Blue Jays game and will also encourage baseball fans to check out cricket.

“The best place to start is by watching the Universe Boss. That’s me,” said Gayle, who is also goes by the nickname Gayle Force. “That’s where you want to say ‘hey, this guy’s very entertaining, let me go and check him out.’

“They’re going to see a lot of history and say ‘well, he’s been pretty good, maybe I can watch a bit of cricket.'”

Gayle said he would take some practice throws before making the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday. Getting to throw twice, once a traditional baseball pitch and then a running cricket bowl, would be Gayle’s preference to satisfy both sets of fans.

“I’d love to give them a proper bowling, but I want to do it properly,” said Gayle, playing with a baseball in his hand. “I wanted to do the proper pitch, so that’s what I’m here to do. I’m going to deliver, as well. 

“I also want to hit a home run. The baseball way, not the cricket way.”

Gayle will take batting practice with the Blue Jays on Saturday morning and then meet with Toronto’s players before throwing out the opening pitch. Cricket-style Blue Jays jerseys will be given out to fans at the game. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2023.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press