(Reuters) – Opening batsman Chris Gayle has set his sights on the third Twenty20 World Cup with West Indies as he prepares to return to international cricket after a two-year absence before their T20 series against Sri Lanka starting today.
Former captain Gayle last played for the West Indies in a one-day international match against India in 2019 in what he later described as his last international appearance.
Gayle has kept himself busy in T20 leagues around the world and played two matches for Quetta Gladiator in Pakistan’s ongoing Premier League before returning to Antigua.
The 41-year-old player, who was part of the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup winning teams, said he was focused on winning the three-match home series but the bigger target is to defend their T20 title at this year’s World Cup which n starting in October.
“The bigger picture is actually having three T20 titles under my belt. That’s really the goal I’m setting, ”says Gayle.
“The World Cup is still a long way off but by the time you blink it’s World Cup time. So we have to try to keep the energy, stay fit, be prepared and show the region what we are capable of.
“We have quite a few series in the pipeline and we have a lot of cricket leading up to that. We will try to extract as much as possible from these series. “