Chris Gayle could be getting a farewell game at his home ground, Sabina Park, according to Jonny Grave, the CEO of Cricket West Indies. He said that the board are in touch with the local government to see if fans can be allowed inside the stadium, to help the legendary cricketer get a grandiose farewell.
Grave, who acknowledged the fact that the 42-year-old has had a legendary career, feels that he deserves to be sent off with a game. The series will be confirmed in a few days once they receive the required permissions for the crowd to be allowed. It will be conducted in the month of January, next year.
“That would be, hopefully, if fans are allowed into Sabina, a good opportunity for us to say farewell to Chris at his home ground.
We are still talking to the government of Jamaica around the protocols and the ability to play the series there but I hope within the next few days we can confirm that series, one, taking place and two, being held in Jamaica,”
said Grave.
Having represented the West Indies closely 500 times across all formats, Gayle accumulated over 19,000 runs and is one of the select few cricketers to have scored two triple centuries in the longest format.
He is widely regarded as the most influential and the greatest ever player in the shortest format. Adding to it, he was an integral part of the side which won two ICC trophies last decade. He is the first cricketer to hit the 10,000 mark in T20 cricket and is the only person to 10 or more centuries in the format.
However, in a contrary school of thought, popular commentator Fazeer Mohammad said that a player getting an international game for a farewell if he doesn’t merit his selection, sets a dangerous precedence for the future.
Cricket West Indies had previously denied Shivnarine Chanderpaul a farewell game, due to which he missed the opportunity to overtake Brian Lara’s record of most Test runs by a Caribbean cricketer by a whisker.
Mohammad said that a talented player who deserves to be selected should not be put aside to accommodate a farewell for any cricketer.
