Chris Gayle has reiterated his desire to continue as West Indies captain despite his side's seven-wicket loss to South Africa inside four days in the third Test here Tuesday. The defeat, which spelled a 2-0 series defeat for Gayle's men, was the latest in a long string failures for the regional squad but the Jamaican opener said he was not ready to quit. "Definitely I want to go on. Before the series I was brought into a meeting and had a discussion about my future and gave them my everything so we will see what happens," Gayle said.
"I am still willing to go on. I am still pushing to go on. I still have a lot to offer in that particular area." The 30-year-old, who has led West Indies in 20 Tests, said there were problems of support which needed to be dealt with. "There are a few issues I need to sort out before I progress," Gayle said. "When you are not getting the support there is going to be a problem. So we need to address that as quickly as possible and see how well be can come up with a better system."
The left-hander has now played 88 Tests and passed 6 000 runs in the just concluded Test at Kensington Oval. However, his form was below par in the series as he managed just 159 runs in five innings at an average of 31. He said, however, that leading the squad had been a boon to his batting and his personal development. "Since I have been captain, I didn't even notice it but my average in Test cricket has been over 50 which is a tremendous achievement," Gayle said. "It has helped me become a more mature person as well. I am willing to move forward and have better results for West Indies cricket." (CMC)
