Gayle departs in likely swansong for West Indies great

West Indies great Chris Gayle on Saturday made 15 off nine balls against Australia in the Twenty20 World Cup in what was likely his final innings in national colours.

The 42-year-old Gayle smashed two sixes before chopping a delivery from Pat Cummins on to his stumps as he walked back with his bat raised and a standing ovation from his players in Abu Dhabi.

The self-styled “universe boss” has not yet announced his retirement but is unlikely that he will play for the West Indies who have failed to defend their title this edition.

Gayle, a left-hand batsman who can bowl off spin, has amassed over 12,000 runs including 27 centuries in white-ball cricket since he made his debut in a one-day international in 1999.

He has also played 103 Tests, scoring 7,214 runs at an average of over 42 and a highest of 333.