'Would love to carry on as long as possible' - Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle's love for cricket is still going strong. Having taken a break from the game towards the end of 2019, he's back in action with the Chattogram Challengers in the BPL, and he says he will continue playing T20s for a while yet.

"A lot of people still want see Chris Gayle out there in the middle," Gayle said during a media interaction in Dhaka. "I still have that love for the game and that passion for the game as well. And I would love to carry on as long as possible.

"Even in franchise cricket I am still playing a few games here and there around the globe because I still feel I have a lot to offer. The body is feeling good. And I am sure I am getting younger as days go on."

As to how long he might want to carry on, Gayle, who turned 40 in September, joked that he could keep going for five more years.

"Forty-five is a good number. Yeah, we can target 45. Let's target 45, that's a good number."

Gayle hasn't played a Test match since 2014, and in August he played what seemed to be - though it might not have been - his farewell ODI in Port-of-Spain. He wasn't part of West Indies' recent tour of India and isn't playing the ongoing home series against Ireland, but he remains part of their T20I plans in a T20 World Cup year.

He faces competition from the young faces that have recently come into the team, but he hopes he will still be part of the T20 World Cup in Australia at the end of the year.

"It'd be nice. It's open, the door's open for a chance," Gayle said. "We'll see what happens. We have some bright youngsters ahead of you as well. I will leave the options open to hear back from [the selectors]."