Brad Hogg, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers
Brad Hogg. Credit: Getty Images

The slow left-arm chainman Australian bowler Brad Hogg suggested that Windies swashbuckling opening batsman Chris Gayle has done a lot to make a comeback into the fold of lucrative Big Bash League.

Known for his vital role which he played for distinct leagues across the globe, Hogg reiterated there is no solid reason for keeping Gayle away if he would be pulling his hand up for the widely acclaimed league in Australia.

“If he’s available, I don’t see a reason why he can’t come back,” Hogg was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia why speaking in favour of his former teammate in BBL competition.

Brad Hogg, Chris Gayle, BBL Return, Cricket Australia, Mel McLaughlin, Controversy
Chris Gayle century floored Dhaka Dynamites with a splendid century. Photo Credit: BPL.

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The 46-year-old veteran bowler Hogg remarked Gayle had shown a lot of improvement and he is expecting the Cricket Australia (CA) to include the ferocious batsman while adding the latter deserve the place to represent one of the teams of the KFC BBL.

It’s pertinent to mention that the seventh edition of the BBL will kick start with the curtain raiser to be held in Sydney on December 19.

Hogg, who has a massive experience in the league cricket, observed the teams are looking forward to having the quality players in the line-up, to excel in the potential leagues.

“You want the best players available,” Hogg said.

Hogg, who was the important figure for Australia national side particularly in the limited-overs cricket, stated it to the media after Gayle smashed unbeaten 146 off 69 balls which subsequently included 18 sixes for the Bangladesh Premier League franchise Rangpur Riders against Dhaka Dynamites.

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In the second qualifier, the left-handed batting power-house Gayle smashed 126 off 51 against Khulna Titans before playing a remarkable knock in the 2017 BPL final.

Brad Hogg, Chris Gayle, BBL Return, Cricket Australia, Mel McLaughlin, Controversy
Chris Gayle drew flak after controversial comment in BBL. Photo Credit: BBL

Interestingly, in 2016, the ‘don’t blush, baby’ comment from Gayle didn’t sit well with Cricket Australia (CA) when he was interviewed by the then Channel 10 on-field host Mel McLaughlin when the batting sensation was representing Melbourne Renegades.

Over the incident which caused a major controversy, Gayle was charged a hefty fine of US $10,000, before being forced to fly home.

On the other side, Gayle has been a source of entertainment for the spectators owing to his ability to clean the park with minimum effort.

Gayle, who has become the first player to go past the total of 11,000 runs in Twenty20 runs, as Gayle is yet to feature in Australia since February 2016.

The star batsman Gayle is bound to play the 50-over series for the Caribbean in New Zealand.

Brad Hogg, Chris Gayle, BBL Return, Cricket Australia, Mel McLaughlin, Controversy
Brad Hogg remarked Chris Gayle can make a return to the BBL. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

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The Western Australia-born Hogg, who represented Australia in 123 One-day Internationals followed by 15 Twenty20 Internationals and seven Test which further saw him featuring in 133 Twenty20 matches in which he picked 133 wickets at an average of 24.31.

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The 38-year-old Jamaica-based Gayle played 320 T20 games in which he averages at 40.94 to amass 11,056 runs. He smashed 20-hundred and 37 fifties.

Tahir Ibn Manzoor is the Editor-In-Chief at Cricket Addictor, who follows cricket like food and he has a great affection for the long-form journalism. He has been associated with the organisation since...