Chris Gayle, the West Indies legend said that he is focused on scoring runs in franchise cricket league as a part of his training and preparation for the T20 World Cup in 2020 to be held in Australia. He is currently representing Balkh Legends in the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), however, his performance has been below par as per his standards, with only 132 runs in 4 matches at a strike rate just above 135.

The explosive opening batsman has confirmed his availability for the upcoming England series after pulling out from both India and Bangladesh tour due to personal reasons. The Windies team are currently playing in India and are due to kickoff a five-match ODI series after which they will play three T20Is, to conclude the tour. His presence would have boosted the moral of the team that is in dire straits and also have a daunting impression on the opposition.

International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Chris Gayle, as saying, “I am definitely available for selection against England. At this moment, scoring runs in these leagues [franchise cricket] is important as everything can be seen as being geared up towards the World Cup.”

Manage time and schedule to be in top shape

The 39-year-old feels he only has to manage his time and body to ensure he stays fit. “I’ve merely got to manage my time, my schedule and my body to ensure that I am in top shape. After this [APL], there is a lot of cricket to come. We have the T20 cricket and after that, we have so much more cricket by the time of the World Cup,” quoted Chris Gayle.

“I feel that at this juncture, it is all about clicking at the right time and having fun playing,” he added.

West Indies would greatly miss the services of their swashbuckling batsman against India and Bangladesh, however, would hope that he is fit and maintains form for the England tour in February 2019 and World T20 in 2020.

 

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