Chris Gayle to retire from playing one day matches

Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has announced that he will retire from one-day international cricket following the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

Cricket West Indies made the disclosure a short while ago on Twitter.

Gayle is set to play his first international since last July against World Cup favourites England on Wednesday.

The game is the first of a five-match series in preparation for the World Cup, which starts on May 30.

The big-hitting 39-year-old opener holds the West Indian record for most ODI hundreds with 23, and is the team’s second-leading runscorer in the 50-over format with 9,727 runs — trailing only Brian Lara (10,405).

His 215 against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup also represents the highest limited-overs score by a West Indies batsman.