Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has criticised Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for not pursuing the highest individual score in Test cricket this week.
Captaining South Africa in the absence of the injured Keshav Maharaj and Temba Bavuma, Mulder declared South Africa’s first innings during the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
Mulder was on 367 not out at the time. The highest individual Test score is held by West Indian Brian Lara, who hit 400 not out against England in 2004.
“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle, who hit two Test, triple-centuries 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.
“But he was so generous and said he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara. Maybe he panicked, he didn’t know what to do in that situation.”
Mulder’s 367 not out is the highest Test score for South Africa. He passed the 311 not out collected by batsman Hashim Amla against England in London in 2012.
“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,” added Gayle.
“I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it.
“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.
“Sometimes you can’t even get one run against a team like Zimbabwe, if you want to put it that way. It doesn’t matter, the opponent, if you get a ton against any team, that’s a Test century. If you get a double or triple, 400, that’s Test cricket. That’s the ultimate game. Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up.”