Chris Gayle has criticised Wiaan Mulder for declaring South Africa’s innings on 367 not out, suggesting the stand-in captain “panicked and blundered” by not attempting to break Brian Lara’s record for the highest individual Test score.
Mulder, playing in just his 21st Test, produced a monumental unbeaten knock against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on 7 July. But despite sitting just 33 runs shy of Lara’s 400*, the 27-year-old chose to end the innings at 626 for five on the second day out of what he later described as “respect” for the West Indian great.
Gayle, Lara’s former teammate, acknowledged the sentiment but called it a missed opportunity.
“Come on, you’re on 367 automatically you have to take a chance at the record,” Gayle told talkSPORT on 9 July. “If you want to be a legend, how are you going to become one? Records come with being a legend.”
“I think it was an error from his side not to try and get it. We don’t know if he would’ve gone on and got it, but he declared on 367 and said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to score 400 in a Test match. Come on, youngster you’ve blown it big time.”
Mulder had entered at No. 3 in the 10th over and faced 334 balls, hitting 49 boundaries and four sixes. He was unbeaten on 264 at stumps on the first day, and just before lunch on day two, he reached 367*. But when play resumed, South Africa declared and never returned to bat — the innings was over, and so too was Mulder’s chance to rewrite history.
Gayle continued: “If I could get the chance to score 400, I would take it. That doesn’t happen often. You never know when you’ll reach a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the most of it.”
He added that the quality of the opposition should not diminish the achievement.
“It’s the same cricket — Test cricket. Sometimes you can’t even get one run against a team like Zimbabwe. It doesn’t matter the opponent. A hundred against any team is a Test century. A double, triple, 400 — that’s Test cricket. That’s the ultimate game.”
Mulder’s declaration helped South Africa secure a dominant victory by an innings and 236 runs, reaffirming their status as World Test champions. However, Gayle believes the moment and a possible place in history was lost.
“Maybe he panicked. He didn’t know what to do in that situation,” Gayle said. “Like I said, he blundered, straight up.”
Even England Test captain Ben Stokes was asked about the incident during a press conference at Lord’s.
“As captain, you’d rather do it to yourself than the captain pulling out on a groundbreaking day,” said Stokes. “I think he said something about how it should stay with Brian. He’s not going to get that opportunity again. They got the win, which is obviously the big thing that counts.”