Gayle eyes Test return

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC:

Cricket superstar Chris Gayle has been quoted in Australia as saying one of his goals for the new year is to resume his playing career with the West Indies Test team barring further injury.

Gayle told reporters in Melbourne yesterday, had it not been for his lingering back injury, he would have been playing in the current Test series between Australia and West Indies.

rehabilitation

The 36-year-old has been undergoing rehabilitation work after surgery on a debilitating back injury earlier this year.

"I haven't retired from the game. Test cricket is still on the agenda, for sure," said Gayle, who played the last of his 103 Tests in July 2014.

"I'm just coming back off an injury so there's no way I could've actually been part of that Test team. If I wasn't (recovering from a back injury), I would definitely. I haven't retired from the game".

Gayle, who has scored 7,214 Test runs at an average of 42.18, has stressed that his interest in Test cricket has not dwindled, but explained that his back problems have delayed his return to the longer format of the game.

He is playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League after earlier this month featuring in four T20 matches of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The West Indies opener represented Barisal Bulls in the BPL and scored a blazing unbeaten 92 in a one sided victory over Chittagong Vikings.

"I haven't batted for such a long time that [when] I scored 92 in a game and the next day I felt I'd been hit by a bus. This is the biggest challenge, coming back into cricket, [after] being out of cricket for maybe three-four months," he said.