Chris Waters: Gale deserves international call for diligent development

Perhaps not the best in terms of talent or aesthetics; Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow would score heavily in those.

But pound for pound, competition for competition, Gale is the man who will never let you down.

Whether in the County Championship, CB40 League or Twenty20 Cup, he is by far the club’s most consistent performer.

Although it has been a difficult season for Gale and his team, the captain’s individual displays have in no way declined.

On the contrary, Gale would appear to be getting better as he moves towards the peak of his powers.

At 27, Gale is in the prime of his career.

He has blossomed into a complete batsman in all forms of the game – one equally at home in the four-day or one-day arena.

Gale’s statistics this summer emphasise his quality.

Only Bairstow (821) has scored more Championship runs than Gale’s 668 at 41.75, while Gale has been comfortably the best one-day player.

In five CB40 matches, Gale has scored 285 runs at 57.00.

Yorkshire’s next-highest scorer in the tournament is Joe Root with 110 at 27.50.

In the Twenty20 Cup, Gale has made 388 runs at 32.33.

Yorkshire’s next-highest Twenty20 scorer is Lyth with 265 at 22.08, while Gale has scored four half-centuries in 12 Twenty20 innings – an eye-catching ratio.

The question now is: how far can he go?

Can Gale make the leap to play international cricket?

It will be a difficult task to force his way in, but there is no doubt he is in the selectors’ thoughts.

He has the talent and temperament to make the step up and could do a job for England in all forms of the game.

One of Gale’s biggest attributes is his adaptability.

If you need someone to get their head down and play a match-saving innings, such as when Yorkshire held out for a draw at Durham in the Championship the other week, Gale is your man.

His unbeaten 101 helped Yorkshire to a fourth-day total of 280-4 as they took a share of the spoils against the Championship leaders.

Likewise, if you need someone to change the pace of a game (four-day or one-day), Gale is your man.

He can increase the tempo of an innings in an eye-blink, such as when he smashed the first five balls of an over from Worcestershire off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for four during this week’s Championship match at Scarborough, a feat he achieved not through brute slogging but authentic cricket shots.

Gale has a wonderfully simple method.

He strikes cleanly through the line, has an excellent eye and watertight technique.

Gale also possesses an excellent temperament.

He is determined, enjoys a scrap and is the archetypal game player – one who can size up the mood of a match in a moment.

Earlier this summer, Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket who coached Gale on the England Lions tour to the West Indies during the winter, told me England needed to make a decision on the Yorkshire captain within the next 12 to 18 months.

He said they had to work out whether he could transfer his game to the highest level.

Gale certainly comes highly recommended by Newell, who described him as “the sort of bloke coaches love to have”.

Newell added: “He sets a great example as captain and has done well at every level up to Test level.”

I sincerely hope Gale gets his chance on the international stage.

It would be reward for his diligent development during the past few years.