Charles determined to thrive despite Gayle shadow

Opener Johnson Charles, only the second Saint Lucia cricketer to be selected for the West Indies, plays his first international on home soil on Friday, shrugging off the shadow of Chris Gayle. Charles and his West Indies team tackle Australia in the fourth one-day international at Beausejour with the series level at one win each after Tuesday's thrilling third-game tie in Kingstown. "I'm fully focussed and I'm eager to play in front of my home crowd, but I'm not over eager," said Charles. "As a boy growing up, I would always think of myself playing for St Lucia, for Windwards and for West Indies in front my home fans. Now I will get the chance to play against Australia on home soil and that's quite good. "Obviously, it means a lot to my family and close friends that I have made it into the West Indies team. A few players from my area have represented the St. Lucia team, but I am the first person from my area and from my family to reach this stage of the game, so everyone is happy and they expect the best from me." Last September, Charles became only the second player from St. Lucia to represent the West Indies at the international level, when he made his Twenty 20 International debut against England at the Oval. The first St. Lucian to wear West Indies colours was current captain Darren Sammy. The 23-year-old Charles has looked calm at the crease and has played with confidence and freedom so far, making 84 runs in three innings. His best score so far of 45 off 56 balls came in the third match on Tuesday. Charles is determined to stamp his authority on the opening slot despite reports suggesting that former skipper Gayle, who hasn't played for the national team since last year's World Cup, has finally buried the hatchet with the West Indies board. "I play it as I see it," said Charles. "I play according to what the team requires. I don't try too many fancy things. So far in this series, I have made a start, so I will look to carry on and look for a big score. I always try to provide a foundation for the team and then push on from there."