Chris Gayle eyes T20 World Cup

Dubai - Star batsman Chris Gayle is targeting the T20 Cricket World Cup to be played in India next year.

The former West Indies captain who was in the city as brand ambassador for the Kerala Cricket League spoke to Khaleej Times on Thursday.
Gayle, who has been out of action for quite a while now since undergoing a surgery to get rid of a long-standing back injury, said his next international match would be the T20 World Cup. "I will be playing the Big Bash though, but as far as international matches are concerned it will be the T20 World Cup next year," he said.
The left-handed explosive batsman couldn't have asked for a better venue than India which has been his favourite hunting ground.
"Oh yeah," he said as he smacked his lips. "I'm looking forward to the T20 World Cup as it is being played in India which is my favourite hunting ground. "It should be a fantastic tournament. We all know what T20 is like so lets see which team will come out on top at the end of the day."
When pushed to answer whether his Test career was at a crossroad, he said, "I would love to play Test matches next year. As of now I can't push myself into Test cricket as I feel I'm not fully there after the surgery."
So would he like to prolong his career in either Tests or 50 overs or T20s like some of the players including Pakistan's Younis Khan (retired from ODIs) and Shoaib Malik (retired from Tests) have done in recent past.
The 36-year-old's reply was. "It all depends on how an individual feels at a particular time. Those guys (Younis) and (Malik) have played a lot of cricket. These things can take a toll on your body so it is only a matter of time when you have to decide to take a call on your playing career.
"Whether it's Test cricket or 50 overs at the end of the day we all have to walk away from the game at some point in time. In my case I'm still looking to play some more international matches in all formats but it's all about fitness. I'm not getting any younger so I need to know how to cope with it. I will have to monitor my body and make a decision."
Gayle refused to be drawn into the controversies surrounding West Indies cricket. The current team will be touring Australia next month sans top players like Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo after losing a Test series in Sri Lanka.
"It's going to be difficult to play in Australia as we know how dangerous they are playing in home conditions. They beat us at home. But we have to look and see what the boys can take from the series. They have to be positive and grab the opportunity to present themselves in the best possible way."
The surgery might have restricted his movements on the field but when it comes to music there's nothing to stop the strapping 6 feet 4 inch Jamaican from doing the Gangnam dance.
clareto@khaleejtimes.com