Chris Gayle to quit ODIs after 2019 Cricket World Cup
Chris Gayle has announced that he will quit ODI cricket after featuring in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The 39-year-old is one of the last remaining international cricketers to have made his debut in the 1990s and has since gone onto become one of the West Indies best ever white-ball cricketers.
Despite not featuring regularly for the Windies, Gayle is expected to play in the showpiece event in England this year. Post the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the left-hander has played only 15 ODIs including the World Cup Qualifiers last year in Zimbabwe.
Gayle is the second highest run-getter for the Windies in 50-over cricket after Brian Lara and is just 223 runs short of touching 10000 runs in the format. He also holds the Windies record for most hundreds in ODI cricket and in the 2015 World Cup, he became the first Windies batsman to strike a double century in the format when he made 215 against Zimbabwe in a World Cup group game.
"It is good to be back at the start of a big year, It's a possibility that it might be the last time they get to see me on local soil,” Gayle was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Among the other accolades he had garnered in his illustrious career, he led his country more than 50 times, representing the World XI, which he did thrice in 2005 against an Asia XI and Australia. He has also been a part of Windies' 2004 ICC Champions Trophy win, finishing fifth on the run-scorers list. Though these days he can usually be found stationed at slip, he was good enough as a bowler to take 165 ODI wickets, fifth on the list among all West Indians, with the career-best haul of 5/46 against Australia in 2003.
“In 50-over cricket, definitely the World Cup is the end. I'm looking to draw the line there or should I say cut the string, let the youngsters have some fun and I can sit back in the party stand and watch them have some fun. Winning the World Cup would be the fairy tale, the youngsters owe it to me. 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," he signed off.
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