We can win with Gayle - Patriots fans confident after Jamaican's arrival

Kittian journalist Loshaun Dixon says that fans of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots believe their team can win next season's Hero Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 cricket competition following the addition of star batsman Chris Gayle.

Gayle's shocking move from the Jamaica Tallawahs was announced by the St Kitts and Nevis franchise on Thursday, with the Jamaican leaving a team that won the title twice in the competition's four years, for a club that struggled in its first two seasons.

The move has left many wondering about the reasons behind it, with some speculation that it may be that Gayle has been offered a higher salary than he earned at the Tallawahs, despite the Tallawahs saying that his decision was for what he calls personal reasons.

However, Dixon, a writer for the St Kitts and Nevis Observer, says that Gayle may have made the switch because of his partner.

"He has a link to St Kitts and Nevis," Dixon says. "This is where his partner is from."

He says that Gayle may also have made the move to keep himself motivated and says that fans are pleased to have one of their favourite players from the league, as a whole, playing his home games at Warner Park in Basseterre.

"He is a fan favourite here; even in a Tallawahs uniform, people always turned up to see him," Dixon says.

"There are actually fans of the Tallawahs here, because of him.

"He's a big name; he's a household name here. He, being in a Patriots shirt, will obviously cause a big stir among Kittians and Nevisians."

Fans are hoping that Gayle's arrival may mean a return for his West Indies teammate and fellow Jamaican Marlon Samuels.

But Dixon says that the team board has not yet said anything about a possible return for their former captain.