Gale refuses to duck tough calls in search for team’s best line-up

The Yorkshire captain listens to and respects the views of coaches and team-mates but ultimately makes decisions for himself.

Gale is his own man and likes it that way.

Neither is he the type to shirk any responsibility.

It has not taken long for Gale’s decisive streak to show itself this season.

Already he has made two big calls in terms of selection.

First, he dropped Joe Sayers after just one County Championship game, replacing him with rookie opening batsman Joe Root.

Then, in the third match against Nottinghamshire just ended, he dropped Steve Patterson, Yorkshire’s leading seam bowler in 2010, and brought back young paceman Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

The message from Gale would seem to be clear.

Reputation, in his eyes, counts for nothing.

If Gale believes someone is in form and deserves a chance, he is not afraid to make the change.

It is a strategy that will keep his players on their toes and it will be interesting to see what he does after the sorry defeat to Nottinghamshire on Friday.

The decision to drop Sayers was particularly strong-minded.

As every Yorkshire supporter knows, Sayers had not played first team cricket for 11 months when he returned to the side for the opening fixture away to Worcestershire.

He had suffered a long battle with Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome and feared he might never play again.

Although he failed to distinguish himself at New Road, managing scores of 15 and two, it was only the first fixture of the summer and Sayers fielded in impressive fashion.

But there was no ounce of sentiment from close friend Gale.

With Anthony McGrath having recovered from a leg injury in time for the second match against Durham, it meant either Sayers or Root had to make way.

And Gale, impressed with Root’s excellent pre-season form, took the decision to go with the youngster.

Gale admits it was a difficult call.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make as captain,” he said. “Joe Sayers is one of my closest friends in the game and it certainly wasn’t easy to leave him out.

“But I just felt Rooty was hitting the ball better than Joe at the time, and that’s why I decided to leave out Joe.

“There’s no one who wants Joe Sayers in the Yorkshire team more than me, but I will always go on my gut feeling.”

Sayers, typically, did not go and sulk.

He hit back with some impressive scores for the second team and also in league cricket in an effort to force his way back in the side.

“Joe has shown an excellent attitude to being left out,” added Gale. “It’s encouraging that he has bounced back and made some decent scores.

“That’s the sort of attitude you want from your players. You want them to come out fighting and really knock down the door to try and get a game. The message to any player is that it’s a long season. There will always be people who are injured or out of form.

“We’ve got a great squad of lads at Yorkshire and people chomping at the bit to get a game.

“There’s plenty of variety and options in the squad.”

Gale has been impressed with Root’s rise to prominence.

The 20-year-old made his first team debut in a one-day match against Essex in September 2009 but has had to work hard for a Championship place.

“He definitely looks the part,” said Gale. “He’s very much out of the Michael Vaughan mould in the way he goes about his business and has that kind of air about him.

“He’s a bright lad, he knows his cricket, and he’s a sort of old head on young shoulders.

“As soon as he settles and finds his feet in first-class cricket, I think he’s going to be successful for years to come.”

Although Sayers and Root are natural openers, Gale said he could see a place for both in the same side.

“There’s no reason they can’t play in the same team,” he added. “They did so at Worcester when Anthony McGrath was injured and could do so again.

“Whether one of them would open the batting and the other bat at No 3, I don’t know.

“But there’s no reason why both of them couldn’t feature together.

“I think Rooty is actually quite free-scoring. I don’t think we’ve fully seen that side of him yet and he can be quite attacking.

“In one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket especially, he’s one of those batsmen who likes to take the game to the opposition and has got a few trick shots up his sleeve such as the Dilshan scoop.

“He played a couple of innovative knocks on the pre-season tour in Barbados and I think he’s a very adaptable player.”

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