Chris Gayle takes break from cricket, set to miss India ODIs

West Indies swashbuckling opener Chris Gayle has decided to take a break from the game for the remainder of the 2019 season in order to utilize the time to "reflect" on his future in international cricket.

The 40-yeat-old, who made his last appearance for the Caribbean side during the home series against India in August, has recently also opted out of the 2019 Mzansi Super League. 

Gayle is now all set to miss the West Indies' three-match T20I series and as many ODI matches against India, beginning December 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. 

"West Indies called me to play ODIs, but I am not going to play. They (selectors) want me to play with the youngsters, but for this year I am going to take a break," the International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Gayle as saying. 

The Caribbean star further said that he would now focus on using the break to recharge his batteries and think what he really wants to do next year. 

"I'm going to recharge my batteries and think ahead in life, and try and plan it better and keep the people who are more real around you. There's a lot of things I am going to analyse. You never stop learning. Doesn't matter how long I have been playing. There's a lot of things for me to give back. 2020 is just around the corner. I will use now and next month to reflect on what I really want for 2020," he said. 

Gayle made a good start to 2019 as he amassed 424 runs from four ODIs he played at home against England. However, he failed to carry on the momentum in the ICC Men's World Cup and finished with just 242 runs from eight innings.

Gayle also became the leading run-scorer for the West Indies in the ODI format when he surpassed legendary cricketer Brian Lara's tally of 10,405 runs during the series against India in August.