Twitteratti buoyant as Chris Gayle returns to Windies fold
Gayle will resume his international career which was stalled following the World T20 in 2016.
Swashbuckling opener Chris Gayle has been recalled to the West Indies side for the solitary T20 game against India which will be played on July 9. Gayle hasn’t played for West Indies since the World T20 held in 2016. The left-hander is a freelancer who plays cricket for various T20 leagues around the globe after hitting a brick wall with the West Indies selectors.
The ‘universal boss’ will add to his 50 appearances in T20 internationals when he walks out to take the field at the Sabina Park in Jamaica, which also happens to be his home ground. Gayle, rather oddly, hasn’t played a single T20 game for his country on this ground. Surely, the crowd will be agog when the local boy will take guard on Sunday.
The opener is still the highest run-getter for West Indies scoring 1519 runs at 35.32 in 47 innings. His strike rate of 145.49 puts him in a different league as a T20 batsman. He might have played for umpteen numbers of teams in the past but playing for the country gives him immense satisfaction by his own admission.
His run-ins with the West Indies Cricket Board dates back a long time which has curtailed his international appearances in the latter part of his career. His last ODI appearance was in the 2015 World Cup, where he hit a whirlwind 215. Despite his outstanding numbers in the tournament, he was overlooked by the Board due to both parties differences from one and another.
Gayle, 37, is at the fag end of his glorious career. He plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL but couldn’t amass many runs this year which has put his continuum with the franchise under a cloud. In 9 games this season, the big-hitting Gayle scored just 200 runs at 22.22 and an underwhelming strike rate of 122.69. His effectiveness in the format is under question but the West Indies selectors have recalled him for his immense experience and potential.
The Jamaican-born cricketer will relish the opportunity to play international cricket again in front of his home crowd. If he gets going then he can befuddle any bowling attack in the world.
Here are the best tweets for the big man’s comeback into the West Indies team:
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