CHRIS GAYLE’S withdrawal from the West Indies imminent series in South Africa through a persistent back injury is a likely signal of the end of the left-handed opener’s long, chequered and prolific Test career.
The West Indies’ next Test series are in the Caribbean, against England in April-May and against Australia in May.
In a brief statement on Monday, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) confirmed that Gayle would be “replaced due to injury” by another left-hander, the Windward Islands’ Devon Smith who is the leading scorer after three rounds of the new Professional Caribbean Premier League (PCL).
How the selectors view Gayle’s future in short-format cricket is also open to question.
Chairman of the selection panel, former captain Clive Lloyd, has stressed a “West Indies first” policy for players. Gayle has been turning out for Highveld Lions in South Africa’s domestic Ram Slam T20 over the past month.
He is the third highest scorer in the tournament, with 242 runs at an average of 40.33; he hit a typically powerful unbeaten 108 off 55 balls, with ten fours and seven sixes, sharing an opening partnership of 150 with South African Test opener Alviro Petersen, who scored 29, that carried the Lions to victory over the Warriors.
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