Chris Gayle yesterday made it clear captaining the West Indies in New Zealand won't mean dialling back his aggressive philosophy at the batting crease.
That's good news for spectators as the Jamaican left-hand opener is an explosive batsman with a strong record against the home side.
But NewZealand's bowlers might also fancy their chances if an uninhibited Gayle sticks with his bold approach.
Disciplined is not the first adjective that would spring to mind to describe his batting style in the past but he knows he's a critical figure if the West Indies are to prosper at the crease in the two test matches.
Gayle stepped down from the West Indies captaincy after their last series against Australia, with a 2-3 win-loss record as skipper, only to change his mind.
He appears a laidback character, but his stand-and-deliver technique is exhilarating. Leadership has not slowed him down at the crease.
"I am just taking it step by step, but at the same time I plan to be myself out there," Gayle said yesterday.
"I am maturing and there is more responsibility but the mindset will be to play positive cricket."
In 73 tests, the 29-year-old has hit 4804 runs at a tidy 38.12, with seven hundreds, including clubbing 204 off New Zealand in Grenada in 2002. His highest score, 317, came off England on a bowlers' graveyard in Antigua three years ago.
Against New Zealand, in eight innings, Gayle has hit 515 runs at an excellent 64.4 and when his compatriots were struggling here in 2006, Gayle was comfortably the most successful of their batsmen.
He knows the ball will swing and his batsmen simply have to deal with what comes.
"Most of us have been playing for sometime now so we have to use our skill and experience to deal with the New Zealand bowlers," he said.
From the test when Gayle hit his double hundred off New Zealand, there are two other survivors on this tour, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
They are key to the West Indies' batting hopes. If they miss out, the tourists are in trouble. But if "Stormy" Gale hits form, New Zealand's bowlers will have their work cut out.
