Controversial batsman Chris Gayle will be looking to ensure the West Indies' troubled build-up to the World Twenty20 becomes a distant memory when it opens its campaign against England in Mumbai Wednesday. The Windies are out to prove they are still a force in the shortest form of the game despite their declining Test status, while England wants to atone for a humiliating early exit from last year's 50-over World Cup. A pay dispute cast doubt over the West Indies' appearance in India and while the row was resolved at the 11th hour, relations between players and the country's cricket board remain tense. Their preparations have also been hit by the withdrawal of all-rounder Kieron Pollard and off-spinner Sunil Narine, who is T20 cricket's top-performing bowler and has thrived in the Indian Premier League (IPL). But in the enigmatic Gayle they possess a batsman capable of destroying whatever bowling attack he faces and single-handedly winning any match, providing he stays clear of off-field controversy. He lit up the Big Bash League hitting a 12-ball half-century. Gayle, 36, holds the record for the highest ever score in T20s, 175 off 66 balls, and hit the format's first international century during the inaugural World T20 in 2007. "To me he is the best T20 batsman, the most destructive one in this game so he knows his game inside-out," West Indies captain Darren Sammy said of the left-handed batsman last week. But the second-ranked Windies, who are looking to add to their 2012 World T20 title, face a tough prospect at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in the shape of a new, attack-minded England side. Eoin Morgan's team has turned its fortunes around since it was dumped out of the 2015 World Cup by Bangladesh, adopting a more aggressive attitude which has seen it up its run rate. In Morgan, all-rounder Ben Stokes, opener Jason Roy and classy right-hander Joe Root, England has strength in depth but it will miss injured fast bowler Steven Finn. England, which won the 2010 World T20, enjoyed a six-wicket win over New Zealand in a warm-up game Saturday. Morgan said his team is full of confidence. "We are in a really good place mentally," Morgan told reporters Tuesday. "As long as we execute our plans and go about our business the way we normally do I think we'll be in a stable position." — Agencies
