-Says goal is to win upcoming T20 World Cup title

By Clifton Ross

RETURNING West Indies star opener, Chris Gayle, said he’s in the best shape of his life and is eyeing one more T20 World Cup title before considering hanging up his gloves and bat for good, adding that his return to international cricket for the Sri Lanka series is the first stepping stone towards his quest.

The “T20 Universe Boss” during Monday’s Zoom meeting, engaged with members of the West Indies media ahead of the upcoming 3-match T20 home series versus Sri Lanka, which bowls off March 3.

The 41-year-old said he was in top shape and relishing his return to Windies colours. “I’m a fit man, I’m doing a lot of physical training, doing a lot of running and it’s just about how you manage your [sic]. Those things (training) have been a trend in West Indies cricket and I’ve been a part of it, so keeping the fitness is important”, said Gayle

Arguably the most decorated T20 batsman in franchise cricket and among the greats in T20 internationals, the Jamaican said that at one point he almost called it quits but decided to dedicate the latter part of his career to entertaining his fans as a franchise T20 mercenary while keeping the door open for a storied end to his international career.

“It’s the desire I have to perform. Back then, I thought about walking away, but I decided to continue. I wasn’t thinking down this road; I was thinking of now. I don’t mind being a mentor. I still have a lot to offer to both senior and junior players I would love to share”, explained the opener.
Speaking about Guyanese batsman, Shimron Hetmyer, who was left out of the Sri Lanka series after failing Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) new fitness assessment, Gayle urged the fellow left-hander to ensure his cricket is the primary objective at this time.

“It’s very unfortunate he (Hetmyer) is out of the squad. It’s up to him if he really wants to represent the West Indies, because he’s such a talent; it’s just unfortunate. Hopefully, things can work out; he’s the future. I like him, we need him and we don’t want to lose him and I’ll speak to him again whenever I see him”, said the legendary batsman.

Although the upcoming T20 World Cup has some time yet, Gayle said it was important for the team to get themselves into that mode as they will seek to utilize the upcoming respective tours to further sharpen their prowess ahead of the competition.

“We want to win the series; Kieron Pollard is a very strong captain and we have a lot of good senior players. It’s really good to be back, like I said. I just want to perform and do good for my team. The bigger picture is to get three T20 titles under my belt. The goal is to win the upcoming T20 World Cup; we have a lot of cricket coming up, so we need to keep fit and get the energy going.

He ended, “At 41, it’s more mental than physical. It’s the willpower of the mind. I’m still in that capacity that gives me that extra drive. So, if the mind stops operating like this, then I will have to ask myself a big question, but until then, I’ll make sure I have a clear mind, because with a clear mind, you can do anything”.