West Indies batsman Gayle to retire from ODIs after World Cup

ST. JOHN'S: Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle will retire from one-day international cricket after this year's World Cup in England and Wales, Windies Cricket announced on Sunday.

The big-hitting 39-year-old opener, who has scored 9,727 runs in 284 ODIs, is set to play his first international since last July against England on Wednesday.

Gayle needs 677 more runs to surpass the great Brian Lara as the West Indies' all-time record ODI runscorer, a feat he will be hoping to achieve at his fifth World Cup, which starts on May 30.

He has been mainly a T20 specialist since making his last Test appearance in 2014, and most recently played in the Bangladesh Premier League earlier this month.

Since making his debut in 1999, Gayle has also scored a Windies record of 23 ODI hundreds, including the first ever World Cup double century against Zimbabwe four years ago.

The game in Barbados on Wednesday is the first of a five-match series against World Cup favourites England.