Sydney: West Indies star opener Chris Gayle has defended his absence from the longer-format of the game and insisted that he is considering a Test return next year if he regains his full fitness.
The 36-year-old explosive batsman has come under severe criticism lately in the wake of suggestions that he is one among those players who prefer the lucrative Twenty20 tournaments over playing for his troubled national team.
Last week, the once-formidable West Indies suffered a humiliating innings and 212-run defeat to the mighty Australians in the first Test in Hobart.
Also, chances of any improvement in the remaining matches look bleak in view of a fragile and inexperienced line-up.
However, Gayle said that there was no way he could have been part of the ongoing Test side, insisting that he was coming back off an injury, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Gayle insisted that he hasn’t retired from the game, saying that Test cricket was still on the agenda.
The flamboyant cricketer, who has played 103 Tests for the West Indies, had undergone a surgery on his debilitating back injury earlier this year.
He said that he is expecting to recover fully in order to play every Big Bash League game for the Melbourne Renegades this season and to perform well in next year’s World T20 in India. (ANI)