I am sure Chris Gayle was joking when he said he will beat the aussies 4-1. The media played it up hoping for some audience in the stadiums for an otherwise total onesided series. Gayle himself would know that his team has no chance. This australian team has an opportunity to win another white washing series.

haha....what a waste of my time reading this. since when is the leader of a team in a sporting contest out of place to talk big about his team's chances, even when hopelessly outgunned? would you have preferred that gayle said that he expected to be beaten 5-0? gimme a break, this article is a joke.

Perhaps Gayle was trying to make up for what he could perceive was another massive mismatch by the authorities in the one season. I suspect that the Australian public is getting weary of non-competitive teams coming to our shores. This fact, plus the massive blunder in setting two contrasting matches two days apart at the M.C.G. is giving ready ammunition to the critics of the 50 over game. Just note the contrast between the 60,000+ at the T20 match and yesterday's crowd of 20,000+ just TWO DAYS LATER! Astonishing! Also, until the cricket authorities come up with a better plan for our team to play competitive nations we will stay away in droves. If you want confirmation of this fact just cast your minds back to the attendances at the last Ashes series in Australia and contrast them with the poor attendances this season for the test matches between both of the nations we hosted.

I think Gayle was channelling McGrath when he made the 4-1 prediction. Like McGrath of old the comment was made in jest and taken literally by various hacks. He may well be correct on 4-1 - he just has the teams in the wrong order.

@David, nobody is saying the team captain can't be bullish and optimistic about the team's chances, but to come out and say a weakened West Indies team would win 4-1 is just ludicrous. All it accomplishes is putting Gayle's team under pressure and making the public dismiss anything else he says as just a joke.
Personally, I miss the Tri-Series format, at least with that if Australia was dominating we got to see some competitive matches between the other 2 countries. This Summer has seen the Aussies thrash West Indies (in tests), then Pakistan (in tests, ODIs AND 20/20) and now they're back to annihilating West Indies again. I'm sick and tired of the game being over by three quarter time!

Im a west indies supporter who believes there is little if any gap in ability or talent between the teams. May be Australia edges it. But in cricketing terms the West Indies team is not strong enough mentally and emotionally to beat the Aussies. Its all in the head.

I would not categorize this Australian team a a rampant one at all. Come on, Gayle made the comment based on the question he was asked. Mere Australian journalism doing its best to belittle another touring team. That has now resulted in their still being no.1 in all areas of cricket, right? Give us a break. You bet the Aussies will hear from this team at some point in time before the series ends.

The Windies were written off after the first test in Brisbane and they came back strongly depsite that loss. Why do reporters not learn their lessons and have now gone on to make the same error of deriding the opposition at the first chance? The Aussies are just one Gayle innings from defeat, that hardly sounds one sided to me. Oz has to get Gayle early, or lose. Simple as that.

this australian team can be beaten.i think there are just a collection of above average players.the west will made a statement before this series is over.the aussies played to their full poteneial in the first match,while th west indies only played about 60%.WATCH OUT AUSTRALIA

Give him a break, it's difficult leading a side that will struggle to beat even England's mediocre counties.

Gayle needs to focus on the cricket & cut out the glib statements. As a West Indian it is totally embarrasing to consider that our captain was 'joking" about 4-1 win at the start of the series. Despite having a very understrength wI team we need to see some more pride in playing the cricket. Gayle needs to take the cricket seriously, as a WI fan I certainly am.

Chris Gayle is becoming a bit of a joke! . . . We will see and hear visible changes in his body language on the field and his comments with the media when Ottis Gibson has control. Even money Gail won't last more than a series or two as captain.

Gayle's predictions reminded me of a Graeme Smith a few years back when he would talk big before matches against Australia and lose in the end. The differences are that the SA side was more threatning and Smith was younger and perhaphs a bit immature. God bless Gayle.

I don't think Cristal has lost any respect for predicting the 4-1 win. It was a bit of gamesmanship. But I really do hope he fires for one of these matches. The Windies only have to win the next match to change the complexion of this series.

These Australian journalists conveniently forget the years that tha Australians were downright pitiful. They couldn't win anything. The position that they hold now is more attributable to theit wealth than their talent (Ponting excepted. But one day they will meet WI again when WI can bring their best men to the fight and Australia will then be put to the real measure.

how can you listen to some one who does not give an 'f' about tst cricket,morden cricket captains are supposed to be shrewd,Gayle has not been showing a lot of that in recent times

Gayle need to shut his mouth some times and let the bat do the talking

I dont think that the Aussie journalists are more convenient than journalists of other cricketing nations. Everyone want to glorify their good times and hide their bad times. Throughout cricket history, Australians have had far more good times than having bad times so it is only normal that one would criticise a seemingly stupid and apparently disrespectful comment as Gayles. Instead, given the way the Aussie players have played in the past 10 to 12 years, I believe they have given their journalists a right to aleast make criticisms to others that are fair and due. No person in their right minds could predict something what Gayle predicted and is pursuing with continuously so far. It could not even be a proper strategy to motivate the WI team against a mentally strong well performing Aussie team. Evaluating the realistic situation would perhaps have been a better approach.

Blair you obivously did not watch the West Indies AUstralia test sereies ? "THRASHED" are you joking ? missing key players the West Indies completely outplayed Australia every session of the 2nd test match where Australia just about hung on to a draw when only set just a modest 4 an over to win on the final day (remebering both Opening bowlers were out all series)in what was a great match and finally the 3rd test the Windies attack headed by the 21 year old Roach bowled out Australia for 125 with 350 to win they went about getting it in great fashion with Deonarine and Nash really digging in and came just 30 runs short of victory with some very unfortunate referral decisions going Australias way ! remembering England lost every game last time they came to Australia and West Indies were missing key players they were not thrashed and actually challenged the Aussies to some good cricket on there home soil.

The Ozzie media have to be the most one sided and pathetic that we have. They are always looking for some reason to pat their players on the back. True W.I. have a ways to go yet, but this continuous smirk-ridden gloating by the Oz media is a bit distasteful. We will come back and I guarantee Cozier and the others will not be so low-minded as them it's just plain unnecessary.

Two previously strong International teams now reduced to rubble. I don't think it is the talent that is the issue. Take a look at both their cricket governing bodies, rubble again. Australia may not have the greatest side at the moment but backing them is the greatest administration in world cricket. Everything they do from talent identification to fatigue management is world class. When other administrations take a leaf out of Aussies book we will again see even contests across the board.

the aussie team isnt that good! your making the aussie sound like they've been world-beaters this summer but they've only really beaten the west indies & pakistan who are ranked 8th (odis) & 8th (tests) and 7th (odis) & 7th (tests) respectively. Australians need 2 get a grip! Your team isn't the absolute best going round anymore! Even NZ will beat you in the Chappell-Hadlee this summer

Star's right. Blair obviously doesn't know cricket well enough. The Windies certainly weren't thrashed in the Tests, they were in fact the better team in the last two matches. As for the tri-series format, I suspect the Aussie administrators junked it because when the other two teams played in the finals, it became really embarrassing for the hosts.

Am I the only one who feels that Australia should host Zimbabwe and Afghanistan next time? The dismal display by the West Indies and Pakistan has even got people talking about scrapping 50 over cricket. Surely there are teams out there (club or country) that could put on more of a show than these two teams. It saddens me to see the West Indies obliterated like this especially when you consider that they have produced arguably some of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Why oh why must the world be subjected to this humiliation? I'm sure even the Australian team is embarrassed for them and they can only put on a fake smile and pretend that they are enjoying this rather poor summer of cricket. I understand that there have been a few injuries to the teams but surely there are more than eleven decent cricketers in an entire country or in the case of the West Indies on numerous cricket loving islands?!

WI is brilliant side. Specially Gayle.. But this time he was a failure. Better luck next time Gayle... You can beat any side...!!!

As cricket fans we need to hold our players and administrators accountable. WI can rise again,but we must support and agitate for the best committed players regardless of their island.

let Adrian Bharat and Travis Dowling open the batting for the West Indies with gail at no 4 or 5 and we will be unstoppable