Jason Holder feels Chris Gayle is ready to go for the 3rd ODI

Windies skipper Jason Holder has revealed that Chris Gayle is ready to go for the third ODI against England on Sunday. The southpaw suffered an injury to his hamstring while warming up ahead of the second ODI that was scheduled on Thursday also his 38th birthday.

As it turned out, the swashbuckling opener did not miss much of action as the 2nd ODI washed out only after 2.2 overs were bowled on a rainy day. The washout means that the hosts are ahead 1-0 in the series against the Holder-led West Indian side. The big left-handed hitter is now available as the visitors look to level up the series at one apiece this weekend.

Holder confirms that the left-hander will return for the 3rd ODI:

“I think Chris is good to go…I think the last game was more precautionary than anything else. He seems to be raring to go,” Holder told reporters before West Indies’ training session at the County Ground on Saturday. “It’s good to have him back. We hope we can have him for the duration of the series.” added the skipper.

The 38-year-old Jamaican has scored over 9,000 runs in the 265 ODI innings that he has been a part of which includes 22 hundred at an average of average of more than 37 with a strike rate more than 85.

Gayle recently arrived in England for the white-ball leg of the tour, with the visitors losing the Test series 2-1. He did not take part in the first-class circuit which according to Cricket West Indies’ old policy ruled him ineligible for selection. Though it has been overhauled now and opens up the possibility for his selection in the future.

West Indies showed glimpses of form, in the lone T20I at Chester-le-Street last Saturday where the left-hander made a quick-fire 40 runs. He followed it up with a rapid 37 runs in the first ODI of the series, which the visiting team lost by seven wickets at Old Trafford on Sunday.