MUMBAI – West Indies’ swashbuckling opener Chris Gayle will seek treatment in Germany for an injured back to ensure he is fit for the home Tests against New Zealand.
Gayle is eyeing a return to fitness for the first Test in Kingston, which begins on June 8. If he plays, it will be his 100th Test match. The opening batsman suffered the injury after the World T20 in March and missed a few games for his franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, at the start of IPL 2014.
“It started at the end of the T20 World Cup. I thought initially it was a simple thing but I went back home for a couple of days,” Gayle told Indian Express.
“Then I travelled back to Dubai to play in the IPL and when I started training I found it difficult. I could not bat properly and bending was a problem and sprinting between the wickets was a problem even though you guys don’t see me running much. It was difficult but I tried my best.”
Gayle has been struggling with injuries in the recent past. He last played a Test against India in November 2013. A hamstring injury he suffered in the first ODI against India sidelined him from the rest of the series and West Indies’ tour to New Zealand in December 2013. He made a return to the side for the limited-overs matches against Ireland, but missed the ODIs against England in February due to lower back pain.
Gayle said that had it not been for all this, he would have played his 100th Test “a long time back”.
“It will mean a lot to me,” he said. “I have been serving West Indies cricket for the last 13 years and going on to 14 years now. I am actually looking forward to this milestone . . . .
“I still have an injury now and I am trying to get it sorted as quickly as possible so I can be fully fit for the special occasion. It is going to be played at home, so it is a big occasion for me and for the people back home too. I don’t have much time, but hopefully it will work out and I will be back on the field quickly.”
Gayle has been named in the 15-member West Indies training squad that will participate in a preparatory camp ahead of the Tests against New Zealand. He is expected to join the camp on June 1, along with Sunil Narine, who is playing in the IPL for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
Dwayne Bravo and Kemar Roach, who are coming off shoulder injuries, are also a part of the squad, along with Jamaica pacer Jerome Taylor, who returned to cricket after being sidelined by injury for more than three years. (PR)
