West Indies veteran opening batsman Chris Gayle is set to retire from ODIs after this summer’s World Cup in England and Wales.
The 39-year-old is second only to Brian Lara in the list of Windies’ leading ODI run-scorers but has had his issues to the Windies selectors down the years so hasn’t played as many internationals as should have been the case. However, he has been recalled to the ODI side for at least the first two matches of the upcoming five-game series against England and can still be difficult to tame if he gets a start.
Gayle has played in 284 ODIs since his debut in 1999 but needs another 600-plus runs to overtake Lara’s total and become the Windies’ all-time highest ODI scorer. The Jamaican was, of course, a key member of the Windies squad that lifted the T20 World Cup in 2016 and is hoping his experience can help the current side off to a flier in their series with England. West Indies fans normally come out in force for these one-day internationals and they like to see their batsmen dominate the opposition’s bowling.
There are certainly some powerful hitters alongside Gayle in the Windies’ top order, including Marlon Samuels, Evin Lewis and Jason Holder. Nicholas Pooran has looked an exciting prospect in T20s and the return of spinner Ashley Nurse should give the home side some control of the middle overs but they are up against an England side that isn’t top of the international rankings without good reason.
There are big questions hanging over England’s Test side at present but Eoin Morgan’s squad is a different matter entirely. They have simply blown away India and Australia in the last 18 months and appears to have the perfect balance of spin and pace in attack and a batting line-up that can cope with early losses and still keep coming. Occasionally, that aggression backfires but not often. They’ve had one warm-up match in the Caribbean and won by more than 170 runs with Jason Roy and Joe Root both scores centuries. Root also notched a ton in the final Test against the Windies so looks to be right back in form. Roy must surely be on the verge of a call-up to that Test side.
Root and Roy are both a best 7/2 to be England’s Top Batsman in the five-match ODI series against the West Indies. Gayle is a best 11/4 to be the Windies Top Batsman with Shai Hope at 4/1 with Unibet. Pooran is overpriced with one bookmaker at 16/1 in this market and Holder is 20/1 with 888sport.England are a general 2/9 to win the series so almost unbackable but there may be some value in the Correct Score market. A 4-1 England win is a general 15/8 and the visitors are 9/4 with Coral to win 3-2. If you think Gayle can inspire the home side to upset the odds, a 3-2 home win is 5/1 with Coral. (Odds correct at 10.30am February 18)
