West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle has equated himself with football superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo in his recently-released autobiography Six Machine.
The 36-year-old maverick batsman has a slew of records to his name, including being one of only four men to have scored two Test triple centuries and the first batsman to smash a ton in each of the three formats.
According to Gayle, he doesn't go after records but such milestones somehow happen 'naturally' to him.
"If Zlatan were a cricketer, it's the sort of thing he would be trying. Except the whole point about these sort of crazy deeds is that there's no trying involved -- it just comes naturally. It's your personality coming through in what you do. I don't hunt these records. It might work for other people, but it would never work for me," Gayle says in his autobiography.
He also says confidence enables a player to thrive under pressure.
According to him, it helps him relax and 'let the unconscious mind get to work', Sport24 reported.
"Confidence comes from hard work and dedication. There's Zlatan, and then there's Ronaldo. He believes he is the best, even when people doubt him or favour Leo Messi for the big awards. It doesn't stop him. Within himself he knows he's the best, and he always keeps driving. He doesn't care what they say about him. He works hard. And I fit into his style too," he wrote.
While Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo will play for Sweden and Portugal respectively in the forthcoming Euro 2016, Gayle will be seen in action in the Natwest T20 Blast in England and later in the Caribbean Premier League.
Photograph: BCCI
