Veteran West Indies opener Chris Gayle has said that he wants to play in another World Cup but also added that his international career is on the verge of its completion. Gayle has likely played his last international game for the West Indies team on Saturday. Moreover, he was given a guard of honour by his teammates and the Australian players after the match as well.
He, however, managed to play a nine-ball 15 and picked the wicket of Mitchell Marsh as well and also celebrated the moment by running like a kid and jumping on Marsh’s back, who even acknowledged it with a smile as well. While speaking to the ICC on Facebook after the game, he opened up on this.
He said: “I was just having some fun today. Put everything that happened aside. I was just interacting with the fans in the stand and just having some fun seeing as it’s going to be my last World Cup game.”
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He continued: “I’d love to play one more World Cup. But I don’t think they will allow me. It’s been a phenomenal career. I didn’t announce any retirement but they actually give me one game in Jamaica to go in front of my home crowd, then I can say ‘hey guys, thank you so much.’ Let’s see. If not, I’ll announce it long time and then I’ll be joining DJ Bravo in the backend and say thanks to each and everyone but I can’t say that as yet.”
However, Chris Gayle is a two-time T20 World Cup and one-time Champions Trophy winner and he is considered as one of the greatest all-format batsmen as well. He has played 103 Tests, 301 ODIs and 79 T20s, amassing 7215, 10480 and 1899 runs respectively which also included 42 tons, four double hundreds and two triple centuries as well.
Gayle again shared: “I’ve been through a lot of struggle. You mentioned the heart condition but I’ve had a phenomenal career. I want to give thanks to actually be standing here today, aged 42 still going strong. The career has been really great. I’ve had a bit of hiccups here and there. I’ve shed blood, I’ve shed tears in West Indies cricket, you name it, one leg, one hand, I’m still batting for West Indies.”
He also opened up on the results that did not go in favour of the West Indies in this T20 World Cup. Moreover, he also shared the personal problems he had to deal with during his campaign in the mega event. However, Gayle didn’t have a great outing, scoring just 45 runs in five innings which came at an average of nine and a strike rate of 91.84 as well.
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“It was a pleasure always to represent West Indies, I’m very passionate about West Indies. It really hurts bad when we lose games and we don’t get the result and the fans so [much] more is very important to me because I’m an entertainer. When I don’t get the chance to entertain them it really hurt me a lot.’You might not that see that expression, I might not show those sort of emotions, but I’m gutted inside for the fans, and especially for this World Cup as well,” he further added.
“Most people didn’t even know since the first game of the World Cup my Dad has been ill so I have to rush back to Jamaica tonight, see what the doctor have to say about him. He’s batting well, he’s 91 years old, but he’s been struggling a bit. I have to go back home,” he said.”Sometimes as a player we play through a lot of things and we don’t really express these things. We’re here to do a job. Those are the behind the scenes, what you have to deal with as a player and then come and perform.” Chris Gayle concluded.
