Windies star Chris Gayle seems a major doubt to play any part in the rest of the One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand after apparently failing to fully recover from the effects of a mystery illness.

Gayle made 22 runs before being dismissed in the first ODI against the Black Caps but did not return to the field for the host’s successful runs chase, which eventually saw them register a five-wicket win. The regional team’s head coach, Stuart Law, and captain Jason Holder, explained that the player would undergo further assessment after being diagnosed with an unspecified ailment.

The 38-year-old Gayle was, as a result, deemed not fit enough to take part in the second match; a lopsided 204 runs loss in Christchurch. With the series well and truly lost and the Windies set to play in the crucial World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe later this year, it seems unlikely the talismanic batsman will be risked for the rest of the series.

“You know he’s at that age in his career where we just wanna give him the best chance to prolong his career, but you know we’ve got to be smart about things when it comes to people’s health,” Holder said when asked about the possibility of the player returning.
Gayle is, however, in the West Indies squad for the three-match Twenty20 series that follows the ODIs.