West Indies stalwart Chris Gayle is looking to sign off from ODI cricket with a maiden ICC Word Cup title when the 50-over event get underway in England later this year.
One of the most explosive openers to in limited-overs cricket history, Gayle recently announced his decision to retire from ODI cricket following the completion of the World Cup in England.
The 39-year-old has so far played a staggering 284 ODIs for West Indies since he made his international debut in 1999 and has scored over 9,700 runs in the format with the help of 23 centuries.
Despite a prolonged absence from international cricket which has seen him skip Windies’ tour of India and Bangladesh over the past year, Gayle feels he is in good shape for the World Cup.
“I’m in good condition. The body is feeling good and I’m pleased with that. I’ve lost a bit of weight and I don’t want to get too big. I’m still working on my six pack. I’m trying to keep up with the youngsters in the field who are like cats the way they chase the ball. I still have it in me and I’m still enjoying it,” Gayle was quoted as saying by the ICC.
Gayle will feature in Windies’ upcoming ODI series against England.
“Being back in West Indies colours is the most important thing. I’m actually looking to go forward with the Windies. I’ll be bringing some experience to play and sharing that with the youngsters and I hope to enjoy the next couple of months with the West Indies cricket team.
“Winning the World Cup would be a fairy-tale finish. The youngsters owe it to me to win. They have to do that for me and try and get me the trophy. I’ll be looking to put my input in as well.”
Gayle’s first assignment on his return to international cricket will be a five-match ODI series against England which begins at Barbados on Wednesday. It will be the last series in the ODI format for Gayle on his home soil.
