Changes to the format for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup mean only ten teams will participate in the mega event in India later this year.
While eight nations, including former winners, have already qualified, teams like Sri Lanka and West Indies are fighting for those two remaining spots, alongside eight other teams in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
Gayle’s statement needs to be put into perspective as save the ‘Big Three’, the lower-ranked teams in the ICC rankings don’t play three formats regularly through the year.
Gayle can’t predict what the future holds for ODIs as well but has linked up West Indies’ struggling run in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers to lack of incentives for the smaller teams to play international cricket.
“Absolutely. We need to (incentivise). The women will also fight for their rights as well, payment wise. I am sure they want to be up there as much as men from a pay point of view. I know there are leagues around the world but sometimes territories restrict those players to play in those leagues and they won’t be able to get the funding they deserve,” the former opener referred to the cap on number of private leagues that a freelancer can ply his trade in.
“If (the boards) don’t allow them to play those tournaments, then pay them properly, so that you can make international cricket better rather than have two or three teams pretty much dominating Test and ODI cricket. It doesn’t make sense at all. It would kill the game,” said the Jamaican.
Gayle reckoned the extended domination of India, England and Australia would make the game boring as well.
“Yeah that is what I am talking about, that is where I am coming from. Pretty much these three teams are dominating international cricket. If we continue like this people are going to say ‘hey we need a new team now taking over, new talents taking over and make a name for themselves’.
Performance of West Indies in qualifiers upsetting
Two time world champions West Indies are on the brink of elimination from the ODI World Cup qualifiers in Harare and that has saddened Gayle “It is upsetting. I have been a part of Qualifiers before. Sad to be in such a situation. Things have not gone our way going into the Super Six. It is going to be tough. I will be very very disappointed not seeing the West Indies in the World Cup here in India,” Gayle, a two-time winner of the T20 World Cup.
Talking about the upcoming 50-over World Cup in India later this year, Gayle picked India, England, Pakistan and New Zealand as the four semi-finalists.
On the much awaited Indo-Pak clash in Ahmedabad on October 15, Gayle has a rather different take.
“Whenever those teams play, especially in a World Cup, the revenues they generate is humongous. One game can take care of the entire ICC event. Pakistan and India players should demand a lot of money for those games because those games are high paid games TV wise.
“I don’t control the board or the ICC. If I was in their position I would want a lot more,” he said (laughing).
“I don’t think there will be any international cricket from my point of view. After the World Cup (in 2021), I was supposed to have a farewell game. It did not happen. We have a new president in place, so I don’t see it happening. But I have not made an announcement as yet.
“I am still active but won’t be playing so often.”