SULIEMAN BENN took the prized wicket of South Africa’s Hashim Amla on the first day of the first Test of the Digicel Home Series at Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.
The lanky left-arm orthodox spinner made the team despite an on field disagreement with captain Chris Gayle during the fourth One-Day International match in Dominica.
In that match Gayle requested that Benn bowl over the wicket, but he refused to do so, saying he had not done so before. Benn was subsequently fined his entire match fee and not selected for the fifth ODI.
But with some selection uncertainties still left, Gayle cleared Benn to play in the Test.
“I’m sure I can select definitely Benn,” Gayle told the media on Wednesday after their training session at the match venue, on the eve of the match.
“He has been our Test spinner for the last couple of series. He has done pretty well regardless of what has happened in the ODI, but he’s a key player for us, and we’re looking for him to try and do the damage for us that he has done against Australia in Australia.”
Gayle added that he and Benn are “friends”, despite the Dominica incident.
“Benn is my friend, man. And only friends live like that,” Gayle reasoned.
“You have to be true to each and every friend you have in life, and if you’re not true to your friend, then you not a friend at all, y’know?”
Gayle is also looking forward to batting in the Test, and hoping his form against South Africa will return.
“I’ve had a disappointing run in the ODI, playing against South Africa, I’ve always done well against them,” he explained. “Hopefully tomorrow [Thursday] can be when I come back when it comes to run-scoring. We’re up against one of the best bowling attacks in Test cricket, so there will be challenges.”
