JOIN USThe West Indies, outdone by India’s might in the first Test, would have loved to have their big names for the upcoming limited over series. However, the absence of experienced men like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, has come as a big blow for the visitors.
Gayle, who opted out of the series to play for the Afghanistan Premier League, was part of the West Indies side that made the cut to the 2019 World Cup in the Qualifiers earlier this year. Despite missing out here, the big Jamaican will be available for the World Cup if he is fit, said skipper Jason Holder.
“He’s definitely going to play the World Cup once his body holds up and he’s fit. We’d welcome him into the team. If you go back to the beginning of the year, Chris made himself available for the World Cup qualifiers. He only did that because he really wants to play the World Cup, he wants to play well for West Indies and he wants to do well. When he does that – he has plenty of options around the world to make money – it says something about the individual, says something about what he wants and I really admire that,” said Holder.
Holder said it’s an opportunity for a youngster to make a mark in Gayle’s absence. “Not worried. Chris is an all-star and I think it’s clear he’s probably at the back end of his career now. He’s probably tapering off a bit. I just saw him play his last List A game for Jamaica, scoring a hundred against my home team, which is great to see. I enjoy having Chris around. But his absence gives another player an opportunity. We have a limited time leading up to the world cup and it’s a good option to see what we have in the tank, in terms of our pool of players, when one door opens another one opens,” he said.