GAYLE ROARING TO HIT ENGLAND HUNDRED NEXT
CHRIS GAYLE has issued a ‘come and get me’ plea to the ECB and their new 100-ball competition after announcing he is quitting ODI cricket following this summer’s World Cup.
The self-proclaimed Universe Boss is on a farewell tour of the Caribbean, aiming to put England’s bowlers to the sword across the final five matches he intends to play in the region.
Gayle (above) might be 39 and in the twilight of an outstanding career across all formats.
But he can still smash it out of the park – and destroy a bowling attack from the top of the order.
And that is why he could still be a tempting draw card for the ECB’S latest venture in 2020 – The Hundred.
“Well, if I don’t start it, it won’t be a tournament,” said Gayle, who has already quit Test cricket but not T20s.
“I guess England should invite me over. Then I’ll explode the tournament and say, ‘Thank-you guys, bring in a youngster now’.
“I’ll set the trend for you, like I did in all tournaments around the world. Fingers crossed, we’ll see what happens.”
If the former Windies skipper lights up his fifth World Cup in June and July, it will bring down the curtain on a stellar career in which he will surely become only the second man from the Caribbean – behind Brian Lara – to score 10,000 ODI runs.
The Jamaican needs just 273 more to reach the landmark which could come during this series against England that begins on Wednesday in Bridgetown, Barbados.
England need no reminding of how destructive Gayle can be after he helped the Windies beat them in the 2016 T20 World Cup final in Kolkata (below).
He added: “It’s a possibility that it might be the last time they get to see me on local soil.
“In 50-over cricket, definitely the World Cup is the end. I’m looking to draw the line there, let the youngsters have some fun and I can sit back in the party stand and watch them enjoy it.
“Winning the World Cup would be the fairytale, the youngsters owe it to me. They have to do that for me and try to get me the trophy. I’ll be looking to put my input in as well.
“I’m always looking to put on a show. England fans love to see the Universe Boss exploding and entertaining you guys as much as possible here in the Caribbean.”
Standing in his way over the next three weeks are the likes of Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett, who have helped take England to No.1 in the world in the 50-over format.
But Gayle rapped; “I’m still the Universe Boss and that will never change, man! I will take that to the grave. I don’t know who is opening the bowling for England, but any bowler is going to beware of Chris Gayle.”
England batsmen Joe Root and Jason Roy warmed up for the first ODI by both hitting tons in a warm-up match against the University of West Indies Vice-chancellor’s XI at the Three Ws Oval.