By Vipul Kashyap
New Delhi [India], June 29 : West Indies legend Chris Gayle expressed disappointment with the team's disappointing performances in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifiers and said that "a lot has to be put in place" for the betterment of West Indies cricket.
Gayle was in Delhi for an event related to the Indian Veteran Premier League, a tournament starting from November 2023 that will feature players like Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Gayle and Suresh Raina etc.
West Indies has made it to the Super Six stage of the Qualifiers, but losses to Netherlands and Zimbabwe have put them at peril.
The results from two Group Stage matches and points earned from them have carried forward into the Super Six stage and WI has entered the stage with zero points.
This means that they will have to work hard, win all their matches and make sure other results go their way to displace table-toppers Sri Lanka (4 points) and Zimbabwe (4 points). WI will play three matches in the Super Six stage.
"I will always be worried about West Indies and West Indies cricket. They will always have my support. Disappointing to see where we are during the qualifiers. We have slim chances of qualifying. Fingers crossed, a miracle can happen. I would be gutted if we do not qualify," said Gayle to ANI.
"Things have not been great, a lot of things need to be put in place with regards to West Indies cricket. Some changes have taken place, we have a new white-ball coach, Daren Sammy. He has a tough task ahead of him but we will have to give him time and understand that things cannot turn around in a month. A lot has to be changed, a lot has to be put in place. We need to give it time and support the team as much as possible," he added.
Talking about the ICC Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan, set to be played in Ahmedabad on October 15, Gayle expressed his excitement for the match.
"It is going to be the most exciting game of this World Cup. It has always been. It is almost like a final," he said.
Gayle predicted that India, Pakistan, England and Australia will make it to the semifinal of the tournament, which will be held in India for the first time in its entirety from October 5 to November 19.
Gayle also expressed his excitement about featuring in the Veteran's League.
"Good to be back to be part of the Veteran's League. We have played so much cricket over the years and retired. But during these leagues, we remove the dust from our boots and say 'Hey, we still have a round to go.'. Fans will also get to see iconic, veteran players," he concluded.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
